JOIN USYou enter a home and more often than not, you first notice the furniture, furnishing and the decor, and then the ceiling. A false ceiling lends an elegant and polished look to your home or office.
It also helps in creating the right atmosphere in any living space. It hangs below the actual ceiling and is also called dropped, suspended or secondary ceiling. The new ceiling is created using a metal grid suspended from hangers or wires, consisting of main beams and other hardware which supports ceiling panels or tiles.
Ceilings can transform the way your home looks, with very little investment. False ceilings have many advantages. Today, a variety of materials can be used to create false ceilings, including stone, Plaster of Paris (POP), gypsum, wood, cloth, aluminium bars and strips and glass among others. What’s more, there are false ceilings made of cloth, termed fabric structure false ceiling.
There are endless design possibilities available and you can choose what fits your budget and the ambience of your home.
They are very easy to install and are not time consuming. They also help hide the clutter of ducts, plumbing, wiring, TV and networking cables. You don’t have to worry about the ugly wiring spoiling your decor if you choose to install false ceilings.
Not only that, should you require any repair or modification in the wiring, false ceilings do not cause any hindrance as the wiring or plumbing can be easily accessed. Blocking out noise
Suspended or false ceilings offer superior acoustic properties. As they do not lie directly against a surface, they do not vibrate from the noise coming from that area.
Sound waves have a chance to dissipate in the space between the false ceiling and the overhead structure, so sounds from above are muffled in the room. They really work well for home theatres or amphitheatres.
Rooms having artificial ceilings are cooler. Since they bring the enclosures of a room closer, the air conditioners work efficiently and reduce the power consumption. They provide a layer of insulation. If the roof of your home is exposed to direct sunlight or indirect heat, a false ceiling will put in one separation layer to keep the heat away to some extent.
If a room needs ample dosage of accent lighting, it cannot do without a false ceiling lest the room will look ugly with all the electrical wires and sockets visible. Unless they are track lights, lighting fixtures do require a platform of false ceiling so that they can be affixed and focused steadily.A false ceiling is used as a design element, to accommodate a lighting system and light effects such as bounce light, spotlight, floating light, and hidden light.
False ceilings are used in office buildings and homes for being extremely fire resistant. A test done by a fire company in 2005 revealed that a drop ceiling was able to hold its position during a fire for 109 minutes of duress; this allows more than one-and-a-half hours for rescue, recovery or extinguishing efforts before the ceiling collapses.
The design of suspended ceilings distributes the heat and smoke over a larger surface, allowing the structure to hold its integrity for long periods of time. The even spread of heat and smoke can also lead to faster recovery efforts. With the market flooded with a plethora of choices, choosing the right kind is tough.
You have to the weigh the options and make a decision. Gypsum boards are now commonly used because they are lightweight, flexible and fire and moisture resistant. Plywood ceilings are also used for their visual appeal. They are created with strips of ply glued or nailed together. They can be given various finishes, and look very appealing though they are a little difficult to maintain.
False ceilings use some of the room’s height which is fine if the height is good in the first place. But today’s multi-storey apartments don’t have adequately high ceilings. In such cases, one has to be careful while planning a false ceiling. One way to do this is to plan the outer realm deep and the insides shallow. Another option could be to have a false ceiling only at the centre and on one side. This will ensure the space does not look claustrophobic.
A very important point to keep in mind is to discuss and lay the electric points when twork is in progress. If electric points are made after the construction of the false ceiling, it leads to patch work and increases expenses.
Do not forget that a ceiling plays a major role in creating the right atmosphere, not only by hiding away the ugliness of wires and cables but also by lighting up the house with recessed or focal lights and setting the perfect mood for you.