3. What are the different face patterns of tiles available

90% of ceiling tiles that are sold are either fissured or Dune type face patterns.

The fissured tile you are small squiggles which appear in the tile

Dune is almost like sandpaper that has been paint

Installing Suspended Ceilings

Suspended ceilings provide innumerable advantages over the permanent variety. Read on to know about the same and much more… I personally feel that ceilings are the most underestimated fixtures of our house. Just because, it does not fall in our line of sight, we falsely get the impression that they do not impact the general feel and mood of the house or the room.

Just walk into the room that has a slightly different ceiling and you will notice the difference. As we know that it is never too late. Thanks to suspended ceilings, the permanent ceilings can be modified with very little expenditure when you do decide to remodel your house. Suspended ceilings come with their own set of advantages. However suspended ceilings are not suitable for every situation. They do make a lot of sense for basements and bathrooms. Also, in case of leaks because of faulty plumbing, having a suspended ceiling as an option rather than pulling down the existing ceiling and redoing everything will not only be far cheaper, you will save a lot of money too. What are Suspended Ceilings The ceilings have been evolving constantly over the years. In the past, ceilings of lath, wooden planks and plaster were very common. Metal ceilings too gained a lot of popularity because they were easy to install and were light weight.

These days, drywall has almost replaced plaster as a preferred material for ceilings. The latest trend now is the use of suspended ceilings Suspended ceilings are hung from the ceiling with the help of metal grids. This in turn creates a cavity between the true ceiling and the suspended ceiling where pipes, wires and ductwork can be installed and worked on if required. How to Install a Suspended Ceiling The main steps involved in installing a suspended ceiling are:

• Planning
• Wall angles installation
• Hanging suspension coils for main tees
• Installation of main tees
• Installation of cross tees and cross border tees
• Installation of ceiling panels

I guess the easiest part of the entire process would be the suspending ceiling tiles bit. Ceiling tiles are available in many varieties and their performance is based on the humidity resistance, acoustics and light resistance that the tiles offer. Suspended Ceiling Treatment With the innumerable advantages that a suspended ceiling offers, there is a small disadvantage. The space between the true ceiling and the suspended ceiling gets very dusty over a period of time. As the dust settles down, it can be seen around the tiles, thereby giving the entire ceiling a very dusty appearance. There are two solutions to the above problem. Either, you can clean the tiles at regular intervals. This is not a very smart idea as it is not only time and money consuming; you will be defeating the entire purpose of a suspended ceiling. The better approach is to seal your suspended ceiling. This process is known as treatment of the suspended ceiling. The entire process is a simple one. If you have an existing suspended ceiling and want to seal it, then take out your tiles and blow away all the dust with a small air blower. Ensure that you are aware as to where the tiles have to go back. Paint the tiles with premium gloss enamel. Spraying would be a better option as this will ensure that the paint gets into all the crevices also. After the paint is all dried up, place the tiles into their position and seal the tiles along its perimeter by using tile caulk. You can smoothen out the caulk with your finger or a damp piece of cloth. Ensure that you have caulked along the perimeters of your walls and ceiling as well.

Suspended Ceiling Hooks Okay, now that you have understood the need and advantages of a suspended ceiling, learnt how to install and treat it; the last step is to make it more beautiful. This is what I love about home improvements. There is always some scope. Suspended ceiling hooks can be used to hang light weight articles from suspended ceilings. They do not require any installation and can be removed or fixed as and when necessary. The larger hooks can be used to hang light weight chandelier or small potted plants. I would like to end this article by quoting Phillip Moffitt who says, ‘A house is a home when it shelters the body and comforts the soul’. Make a home that you want to go to at the end of the day. It is the most important investment of your life and make sure that every detail in your house is carefully planned.

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4.       What is the difference between sound absorption and sound attenuation?

Sound absorption relates to the control of sound reflections within a room while sound attenuation is associated with the control of sound transmission between adjacent rooms via a continuous suspended ceiling.

Simplifying The Job But you can get around the worst part of putting in a soundproof ceiling if you can manage to do your work not directly beneath it,

but from the floor of the room just above it. By soundproofing this floor you will stop any noise before it ever gets to your ceiling, and this technique is ideal for use in multi-story buildings like offices and apartments, in which the noise made by the people on one story can disturb those working or living directly below them.

If you’ve ever lived in an apartment with someone living just above you, you probably know how much a soundproof ceiling would have increased your comfort in that situation. If you are living in an apartment now, you might approach your apartment meager about having access to the upstairs unit so that you can soundproof its floor and avoid the hassle of putting a soundproof ceiling in your own unit. Acoustical Ceiling Tiles And Resilient Bars But if soundproofing an upstairs floor is not an option you’ll be faced with the job of installing a soundproof ceiling. In doing so, however, you’ll not only be faced with the physically challenging job of putting up the soundproofing materials; you’ll be reducing the height of the room.

You can simplify your job by deciding to install acoustical ceiling tiles, which will do a moderately good job of preventing noise from bleeding down from above, but for a really soundproof ceiling, you really need to add a new layer to your existing one. You would do this by putting in resilient bars, which are designed to keep your original ceiling separated from the new one. You would first install the resilient bars, and then place your soundproofing materials like rock or mineral wool, and American mass loaded vinyl into them, before adding the drywall which will be the surface of your new ceiling. While this will be a lengthy and difficult job, it really is the best way you have of creating a soundproof ceiling which can give you the peace and quiet you deserve. Before deciding on the best method of installing a Soundproof ceiling for your home or office, be realistic about your level of expertise, and don’t attempt an installation which is beyond your capabilities. While you’ll have to pay more to have your soundproof ceiling professionally installed, doing so is the best guarantee you have that the job will be done quickly and effectively! Author: Eric Henry You can also find more info on Soundproofing. Soundproofingbliss.com is a comprehensive resource which provide information about sound proofing item. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eric_Henry

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7.       Can I overlay the ceiling with a mineral wool blanket to improve the ceiling’s fire rating?

 In general any overlay that is added directly to the back of an suspended ceiling to try to increase it’s fire, thermal or acoustic performance, and which has not been successfully tested, or assessed (by a recognised expert), in conjunction with the ceiling, could have an adverse effect on the structural fire protection and fire reaction properties of the ceiling system.
You should not undertake the installation of any overlay for this purpose without speaking to the relevant building control and/or fire authority and obtaining approval.

Whether you’re remodeling a room or an entire house, there’s one area that’s overlooked that shouldn’t be – the ceiling! 

When considering the whole room during a remodel the ceiling can play an important role in making a room look its best. The use of a drop ceiling or ceiling tiles can help you to put that extra sparkle in a room that will make it stand out above all others. A drop ceiling is simply a "false" ceiling that can be set at any height. Whether you want an eight-foot ceiling or a twelve-foot ceiling a drop ceiling can be adjusted to please your tastes for any room. Drop ceilings are easy to install and require little maintenance to retain their beauty. When considering what type of drop ceiling to install you need to consider things such as tile size and height of ceiling. Drop ceiling tiles come in a variety of sizes ranging from 24 x 24 inches to 24 x 48 inches. When working with large heights it is recommended that smaller ceiling tiles be used for ease of installation. Ceiling tiles is another option to be considered when remodeling a room. These tiles attach directly to the existing ceiling in your home and can add a luster to room that is hard to match. Ceiling tiles come in a multitude of styles and sizes and with little effort you can find a style that will compliment any room perfectly. These styles are so varied that you can almost think of ceiling tiles in the same manner as floor tiles. In much the same way ceiling tiles can be found that will match almost any flooring such as wood planks or diamond patterns.

Installation of ceiling tiles is easy to understand and easy to do. In most cases you can glue the ceiling tiles directly to you cleaned existing ceiling. With other types of tiles, such as the wood planks, installation will require you to first attach firing strips to the existing ceiling in order to attach the new wood planks. Most companies provide easy to understand step-by-step instructions that walk the user through the installation process. Sometime these instructions are given in a video format that helps the user by being able to actually see the process as it happens. When choosing what style of tile to use it is helpful to visit many of the manufacturers web sites. By visiting these sites you can become familiar with the various styles and patterns that are available. This is better than going to a local retailer first because the retailer may not always carry all the styles that a company will offer. If this is the case then with just the click of a few buttons you can order your new ceiling tiles directly from the company and generally at a discounted price. So remember that when you are planning on remodeling a room don’t forget to consider the ceiling with as much care and planning as you would any other part of the room. An old ceiling redone with new ceiling tiles can help a room to stand out and look its very best. Author: Tom Sample More Resources Ceiling tile selection and installation.

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