Radiant plaster ceiling by Occ Renov

When the client does not want fabric

A stretch ceiling does not suit every project. In an old house, in a room with mouldings, or simply for a client attached to a painted ceiling, the plasterboard version answers the same purpose with a traditional finish.

The principle stays the same

Reflective insulation closes the plenum, an air gap separates it from the facing, and the heating element sits against the back face of the board. The facing becomes the emitting surface, exactly as the fabric is in the other version.

What plaster brings

Mass. The ceiling takes a little longer to come up to temperature, but it keeps emitting after the supply stops. That inertia suits homes occupied continuously and is controlled with wider time bands.

What plaster costs

Site time. Tapes, filler, sanding and paint add several days and a wet phase, where a fabric is tensioned in a day. The trade-off is therefore as much about the programme as about looks.

The rule not to forget

Nothing passing through the facing may pierce a heating element. The setting out is done before the boards go up, it is kept, and it is handed to the client at completion together with the zone marking.

Light fittings

A recessed downlight creates a void in the emitting surface and a hot spot around it. They are positioned at setting out rather than at the end of the job, which means the electrician and the fitter talk beforehand, not afterwards.

Connection is set out on the dedicated page, and the choice of film on the heating films page.