Suspended Ceilings in Apartment or Private House
Suspended Ceilings in Apartment or Private House
Many suspended ceiling manufacturers focus primarily on industry, trade, public facilities, offices and thus their products have appropriate design and characteristics.
Suspended ceilings are made from various materials, have different technical characteristics and installation methods. Therefore, it is important to know about some capabilities of suspended ceilings, their application areas, strengths and weaknesses.
Photo 1 — Suspended ceiling made of matte acrylic glass
Suspended Ceilings in Apartment or Private House
Many suspended ceiling manufacturers focus primarily on industry, trade, public facilities, offices and thus their products have appropriate design and characteristics.
For example, take Armstrong. Its products are versatile – the company's panels and suspended systems are mainly oriented toward non-residential sectors, but can also be used for finishing ceilings in residential buildings.
Firstly, not all of the product line is suitable for living space decoration due to appearance: for example, nobody would decorate living rooms or bedrooms with Bajkal.
Secondly, many series are excellent but expensive due to specific technical features such as sound insulation and sound absorption, antibacterial properties, etc. Sound insulation is not harmful but there is no real need for it, for example, for a person living on the last floor of a multi-story building. The same applies to other similar features – sometimes it doesn't make sense to pay extra.
Thirdly, what is probably most important, any suspended ceiling reduces the room height. Especially cassette ceilings – for their installation, a clearance from the slab of at least 12 cm is required, which in a Khrushchyovka flat is an unacceptable luxury.
Recessed ceilings are better in this respect – they take up less space, work well in humid rooms such as bathrooms, toilets, kitchens, but are rarely used in other rooms.
If ceiling height allows, a grid ceiling or multi-level gypsum board ceiling can be installed. With the minimum allowable height for suspended ceilings, one can use a single-layer gypsum board ceiling; if the space is small but still allows for a cassette ceiling, then an excellent option is mirrored ceiling tiles.
Photo 2 — Grid Suspended Ceiling Gritty
Suspended Ceilings — Design
Some pros and cons of design were already mentioned above, but let's say a few more words about each type of suspended ceiling.
Recessed metal ceilings are undoubtedly beautiful, but their design is used less in bedrooms and living rooms than in the “technical” parts of a house, although they are suitable for high-tech interiors.
Mirror cassette ceilings made of metal are already “warmer.” They find more applications in apartments or houses, but a glass mirror ceiling in the living room would look better than a metallic one. The main drawback of glass mirrors is their high cost and weight. A black mirror ceiling looks interesting, but not everyone would dare to choose such a finish, and despite the reflective surface, this color visually reduces ceiling height.
Armstrong-type systems can be filled with transparent stained glass tiles — elegant and beautiful, but very demanding in terms of interior design. If mineral fiber tiles are used, they can sometimes be painted in a different color.
The Gritto suspended ceiling has a modern, stylish design, but the through-grid serves only decorative and design purposes.
Gypsum board suspended systems are both good and bad in their unfinished state. Gypsum board suspended ceiling allows for creating any shapes, which can then be finished and painted as desired. However, this makes the installation more complex than other suspended ceilings that don't require further finishing.
Plastic suspended ceilings come in various colors and textures, but over time, plastic may yellow.
Suspended ceilings in general are an excellent type of finishing that can be any color and shape.
Photo 3 — Combined Ceiling with Stained Glass
Sound Insulation
Good sound insulation and sound absorption are needed primarily for office ceilings, ceilings in rooms where people gather frequently, and apartment ceilings in multi-story buildings with good "listening" to neighbors above.
Sound insulation blocks and weakens sound, while sound absorption "absorbs" sound energy by the ceiling material.
A more accurate description of these characteristics reads as follows: sound insulation is the change in sound during its transmission between adjacent rooms sharing a common ceiling space; sound absorption is the conversion of acoustic energy into heat when sound passes through material or resonates in air.
Considering all pros and cons of the room, one can choose one of three types of ceilings: with high sound insulation level, with high sound absorption level, or combining both.
To learn exact acoustic parameters, view samples of such ceilings and their use in interior design, one can visit any online store or official websites of manufacturers.
Major global manufacturers of acoustic ceilings, whose products have good reviews — Armstrong, Ecofon, Rockfon and others. For example, economy-class mineral acoustic tiles Rockfon Lilia (Polish production) have an international classification of sound absorption class C with a sound absorption coefficient of 0.75.
Photo 4 — Ecofon Focus Acoustic Ceiling
Fire Safety and Service Life of Ceilings
Production of finishing elements for suspended ceilings is done using various materials with different degrees of flammability. Most ceiling types, even many plastic ones, are positioned as non-combustible. The safest in this regard is a metal or stone wool panel ceiling.
However, ensuring fire safety includes more than just choosing the right suspended ceiling.
IMPORTANT!!! The most important thing is to avoid ignition, and if it occurs — quickly detect it and respond appropriately.
Before assembling a suspended ceiling, the electrical wiring must be properly installed. Wiring under a suspended ceiling should comply with requirements for laying electrical cables according to appropriate standards.
Cable installation is protected — in conduits, sleeves, pipes, metal or non-flammable plastic channels. All wire connections must be made only in junction boxes that provide quick access.
Special rules apply to electrical installation in humid rooms. Requirements for electrical work can be found in SNiP — Building Codes and Regulations.
Fire detectors such as smoke, heat, and flame sensors are installed together with suspended ceilings to alert about fires.
Regarding the service life of suspended ceilings, most of them are designed for 10-15 years. Exceptions include metal ceilings — they can last up to 20 or even 30 years.
Photo 5 — Wiring Behind a Suspended Recessed Ceiling
Suspended Ceilings by Yourself
It is certainly possible to install suspended ceilings yourself if you understand their installation process. However, even after deciding to do it yourself, it might be useful to calculate the cost of professional installation — perhaps it's simpler to just hire a contractor.
Suspended ceilings (installation cost) are estimated at 250-800 rubles per square meter depending on the ceiling type and scope of work.
To create a suspended ceiling, its project is needed — at least simple schematic drawings with dimensions and types of elements. For this, one needs to decide on the type of suspended ceiling, measure the perimeter and ceiling area, select components, place them on a drawing, accurately count their quantities, and calculate the required sum.
If you need to buy cheap suspended ceilings with minimal prices, the cheapest option (but also the least eco-friendly) is plastic. Relatively affordable can be gypsum board, systems like Armstrong from budget series. Aluminum ceilings from Russian manufacturers cost significantly less than European analogs.
Figure 1 — Scheme for Self-Installation of Suspended System Filled with Panels