Ceiling types and functions Q4

Commonly used for commercial structure as they would have many wiring, piping and air conditioning lines that need to run through the entire building structure but at the same time be concealed to not give the building such an unsightly look.

These ceilings are made up of a grid work of metal channels that are in the shape of an upside-down “T” and are suspended down from the main overhead ceiling. The metal channels are arranged in such a way that later they can house “tiles” that would be dropped into the grid structure. These tiles can be made from a variety of materials such as wood, plastic, metal or mineral fibers.

As they can be easily placed or removed, it makes for easy access to the wiring or pipelines that are hidden behind them incase repair works need to be done. These tiles can also come in a variety of colours to add décor to the interior of the room. Segments of the tiles can also be cut away for lighting and air-conditioning channels to be installed in them and allow lighting and air-conditioning of the room.

Popcorn Ceiling

Although it is not typically used in many structures today, popcorn ceiling, which can also be known as acoustic ceiling, was much more popular in the 1950s to 1980s. It was vastly used in homes and residential hallways as it had properties such as noise reduction.

They were a type of spray-on or paint-on ceiling treatment with some being created using paper or Styrofoam based products to create the texture. These ceilings often contained asbestos and lost their popularity when asbestos was banned. However, there are places where one would be able to find structures still using this form of ceiling but without the presence of asbestos.

As they were created with paper, they can be easily taken out by dampening the paper with water and using a scraping trowel to scrap it off.

From Wikipedia:

A popcorn ceiling, also known as cottage cheese ceiling or more accurately a Stucco ceiling, is a term for a spray-on or paint-on ceiling treatment used from the late 1950s into the 1980s in American residential construction. It was the standard for bedroom and residential hallway ceilings for its bright, white appearance, noise reduction qualities and ability to hide imperfections, while kitchen and living rooms ceilings would normally be finished in smoother skip-trowel or orange peel texture for their higher durability and ease of cleaning.

Ref:
http://www.thegreenbook.com/ceilings.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popcorn_ceiling

Advantages and disadvantages of dropped ceilings

Advantages

Fire safety

To address fire safety, ceiling tiles made from mineral fibres, plastic, tin, composite, or fire-rated wood panels can be used within the construction to meet acceptable standards/ratings. Some tiles, in specific situations, can provide the needed additional resistance to meet the "time rating" required for various fire code, city ordinance, commercial, or other similar building construction regulations. Fire ratings for ceiling panels vary based on the materials used, the preparation of each panel, and the safety testing and third party evaluation done to determine where and how they can be safely installed. In the UK it can be required for the tiles from certain manufacturers to be clipped into the grid with special ceiling clips in order to provide a fire rating; there are special tiles designed for the underside of mezzanine floors however that can give a fire rating without being clipped.

Ease of modification

Another advantage of a dropped ceiling is that the easily-removed ceiling panels offer instant access to the plenum, greatly simplifying repairs or alterations.

Wiring and piping installed behind traditional plaster or wallboard ceilings is extremely difficult to modify once the finished ceiling is in place. Wires must either be fished through hollow spaces in the walls behind the finished ceiling, or the ceiling must be demolished in order for wiring or piping changes to be made.

In contrast, the tiles and other parts of a drop ceiling are easily removed to allow access to the area above the grid to do any necessary wiring or plumbing modifications. In the event of remodeling, nearly all components of the grid can be dismantled and reassembled somewhere else.

In business, the drop ceiling is often used in conjunction with hollow steel studs to construct small office spaces out of a much larger cavernous space. Wiring and other services are run through the open ceiling, down through the hollow stud walls, and to outlets in the work areas. If business needs change, the office spaces are easily dismantled and the overall cavernous space reconfigured with a different floorplan.

In older buildings that have seen multiple renovations over time, it is not uncommon for a dropped ceiling to have been installed in one renovation and then subsequently removed in another, its installation having been an inexpensive fix to prolong the time between major renovations.

 

 

One disadvantage with this ceiling system is reduced headroom. Clearance is required between the grid and any pipes or ductwork above to install the ceiling tiles and light fixtures. In general, a minimum clearance of 100 to 200 millimetres (4 to 8 in) is often needed between the lowest obstruction and the level of the ceiling grid. A direct-mount grid may work for those who want the convenience of a drop ceiling, but have limited headroom

As a renovation tool, dropped ceilings are a quick and inexpensive way to repair a ceiling or reduce HVAC costs. Some materials may show their age quickly— for example, mineral fiber sags, is damaged easily when handled, and stains easily, but tin and vinyl do not have these characteristics.

Advantages and disadvantages of popcorn ceilings

Advantages

Much noise reduction and easy to remove (with water only).

Disadvantages

Health hazard as asbestos and asbestos containing Artex are hazardous with asbestos dust particles. Older coatings, containing asbestos, pose a particularly serious hazard. Inhaling microscopic asbestos fibers can cause asbestosis, a fibrosing lung disease; pleural mesothelioma; a cancer of the lining (pleura) of the lung; and peritoneal mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining (peritoneum) of the abdomen.

Those removing the coating or working with a surface covered with it should wear effective dust-proof protective clothing and masks and the area being worked on should be sealed off. Professional advice is advisable. Removal of asbestos-containing Artex is covered by the UK's Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, although in many cases this work falls within exemptions to the licensing requirements and so does not usually require use of a licensed contractor.

Ref:
Wikipedia on "dropped ceiling'
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dropped_ceiling
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artex