The short answer
Gypsum. Boards on a steel frame go up quickly and cleanly, and do not crack the way wet-plastered POP does as a building settles, so we build only gypsum. A band around the edge of the room is the usual choice: it hides the lights and keeps the room’s full height in the middle.
In this guide
Gypsum or POP?
| Gypsum | POP | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Factory-made boards screwed to a steel frame | Plaster of Paris, mixed wet and shaped on site |
| Mess and time | Dry, quick, little dust | Wet, slow, and it needs days to dry |
| Finish | Smooth and even; joints taped and filled | Can be moulded into curves and patterns |
| Cracks | Rarely, when the frame is right | Hairline cracks as the building settles are common |
| What we build | Saint-Gobain Gyproc gypsum ceiling board, 12.5mm on GI Ceiling Framework | We do not build POP |
POP’s strength is decoration: curves, cornices and patterns that boards cannot make. For a plain, modern ceiling with lights in it, gypsum does the same job faster, cleaner and with fewer cracks to come back for.
A band, or the whole ceiling?
Most homes want a band: a strip of false ceiling around the edge of the room, usually 2ft deep (we build 1ft, 1ft 6in, 2ft, 2ft 6in). It carries the lights and hides the cables, and the middle of the room keeps its full height. A full false ceiling covers everything and lowers the whole room.
| Type | How far it drops | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Plain band | 4in | Most bedrooms and living rooms |
| Plain, whole ceiling | 4in | A room with an uneven ceiling or many beams to hide |
| Coffered | 8in | A large living or dining room; it costs more, and needs the height |
How much height can you give up?
A false ceiling takes height from the room. We never leave a room lower than 8ft 10in under a false ceiling: below that it starts to feel low. Measure your ceiling before deciding, and remember that a wardrobe loft on the same wall also needs its height.
Where a false ceiling earns its place
- Living and dining rooms, where the lighting sets the mood.
- Bedrooms, for soft lighting around the edge instead of one bright light.
- Hiding beams and pipes, especially in a room with an uneven ceiling.
- Not in passages and on staircases, where a lowered ceiling buys nothing.
From our designer
I plan the ceiling with the furniture, not before it. The lights in a band should fall where you sit, read and cook, and that is only clear once the bed, the sofa and the kitchen are placed.
— An Ekatan designer
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Common questions
Does a gypsum ceiling crack?
Rarely, when the frame is set out properly and the joints are taped and filled. Hairline cracks are far more common in POP.
Can a false ceiling go in a bathroom?
We do not fit false ceilings in bathrooms. The gypsum we use is for dry rooms.
Should I do the ceiling before the wardrobes?
Plan them together, so the lights and the loft both get the height they need.
Related guides
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