Dropped ceilings, popularly known as false or suspended ceilings, give the ideal example of contemporary construction and architecture. They help give uniformity to your interiors – something that plastering cannot offer. Usually, an artificial ceiling is a surface built or placed below the real ceiling. Basically, it’s a design element, used for accommodating the total light set up – spotlight, bounce light, hidden light, floating light and many more. If you feel bored of looking at the same age-old interiors, then here’s something interesting for you – false ceilings. These installations are incredibly attractive, while offering benefits other than aesthetics.
When it comes to dropped ceiling, most people consider it as a surface that hangs high up, offering both architectural character and space to your interiors. However, these installations serve purposes beyond the aesthetics. Here are some of the top benefits of using suspended or false ceilings in your home.
Lower utility bill
Heat has a tendency to rise above. Hence, when you install high roofs in your home, the heat naturally accumulates above your head and doesn’t make you feel cosy. On the other hand, false or hanging roofs trap the heat below. With these hanging surfaces, you’ll find it easier and cost-effective to keep your interiors cool during summer and warm during winter. The reason behind this is that there is less square footage to work upon. As a result, your house or office space becomes more energy-efficient. Consequently, you can save a lot of money on electricity bills.
Calm and noise-free ambiance
With high ceilings in your home or office, it appears as though your room reverberates. This is equally true for hard basements. When you have a dropped ceiling in your property, you’ll find that it absorbs sound completely. As a matter of fact, it works even better when made from acoustical tiles. For those with surround sound stereo system in their house or workplace, these ceilings prove extremely beneficial. Even if you don’t have such music systems, you’ll enjoy a lot of privacy in your space.
Simple installation
Thanks to modern technology and set ups, you can easily opt for a DIY ceiling installation project, particularly when you choose one with the grid system (though we still recommend professional installation services). With these projects, you can transform your age-old property into a modern living/work area. With false or suspended ceilings, you can easily access any wire or pipeline that’s placed upon your ceiling. One can easily do this by detaching a couple of ceiling tiles and exposing the area of repair.
The above mentioned benefits are not the only ones that comes with installing false ceilings, a few others include-
• Stability of interlocking exposed grid
• Tidy, modular appearance of finished ceiling
• Hard wearing, easy to clean polyester coating
• Lights and additional features such as air grilles, fans and acoustic inlays are easy to integrate
• Good fire rating
• Easy access to void above
• Good sound absorption (oops already mentioned above)
• Long lasting
• Comes in various standard sizes (and colours) with bespoke sizes also available
• Recyclable
• Very good ‘Life Cycle’ costs
A false ceiling effectively hides any pipes, wires and general imperfections that may be present on the original ceiling; and is much more economical than having to carry out a big repair or decorating job. The fact that they are so easy to remove if you need to get to the components beneath is a very big advantage.
Traditional ceilings are made from plaster and usually the only way to get to the pipework etc behind them is to demolish the ceiling – obviously this is a major job, which is expensive, time consuming and very messy. A false ceiling and its kind, which are open cell ceilings and baffle ceilings offer really easy access to the components beneath – you simply remove however many panels you need to and then replace them when you have finished. Much less hassle, mess and expense. A very attractive feature of these ceilings is that it can also be fitted with acoustic pads, which are a form of non-flammable mineral wool that absorbs sound from the outside and makes for a much quieter and more pleasant living space. They are very light weight so does not interfere with the installation of the tiles.
There are of course a few disadvantages to a false ceiling – the biggest one is that it can reduce the height of the room, which may be quite a big issue in some buildings; and there is the argument that they are not as sturdy as traditional ceilings. However, it is generally thought that the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. The key is to choose what works for you and to take professional advice.
