All over the world different kinds of ceilings are employed for buildings with different designs, but one that is most favored and has already revolutionized the building business is the suspended ceiling. You can have such ceilings at many places with good reasons.
Primarily, suspended ceilings are a secondary ceiling, and as the name suggests they are suspended down the main existing ceiling. This is achieved by using a metal grid on to which are installed ceiling panels, giving it the looks of a real ceiling.
Of the many reasons that prompt people to have suspended ceiling, the most important is that these can be installed in almost any room of any building, whether it’s your home, office or even a large public building like a supermarket. Nevertheless, one good reason for places like supermarkets and shopping centers to have suspended ceilings is that it provides an easy way to cover up air ducts, pipes and cables etc., thus making them invisible to visitors while presenting a neat look to the whole space.
As this kind of ceiling is suspended just below the original one, there is a gap created between the two ceilings. This gap proves to be an ideal place to conceal all your wires, cables, piping and ducts etc, giving a neat organized look to the whole place. It further offers easy maintenance as you can dismantle any or all of the suspended ceiling, unlike any normal plastered ceiling which would need to be demolished and rebuilt again, were you to carry any alterations in the piping or wiring.
Another advantage of having suspended ceilings is, these can be made to resist fire. You get fire resistant tiles made from specific mineral fibers and fire proof fibers and conforming to fire safety standards. Not only that, these are available in variety of styles and designs to add to the decor and ambiance of any home or office. It’s a good precautionary measure to keep safety in mind.
Despite all the advantages, there are some limitations too associates with the use of suspended ceiling. While they bring down your energy costs, due reduced volume of place, they could pose problem by way of reducing headroom in the room they are provided. Usually they would shorten the height of ceiling by six to eight inches, so if the room already has a low ceiling, you might have to reconsider having suspended kind of ceiling. But again, it may also depend on the kind of activity carried in the room and the time one is expected to spend there.