The “body” part of sound absorption falls into two broad material types: mineral fibers and glass fibers. You can think of acoustical ceiling materials as consisting of two parts: a “face” (visual architectural surface) and a “body” (sound-absorbing materials).

The MATERIALS used for suspended acoustic ceilings fall into Five Main Groups: In the zodiac of acoustic ceiling products, it helps to break the topic into three classifications: materials, shapes, and colors/textures. What materials are used for suspended acoustic ceilings? The complex physics-and opposing opinions-behind room acoustics is beyond this article. However, since the bulk of questions we get about acoustics focus on sound absorption, we’ll discuss the types of suspended acoustic ceilings from that angle. In a perfectly diffusive sound, space reverberation times are the same at any listening position.

Sound diffusion: Wave energy bounces back evenly in a room.

Sound reflection: Wave energy bounces back when it strikes a material part of the energy bounces back directly and part of it indirectly as reverberation.

Sound absorption: Wave energy is taken in when an absorbing material encounters sound part of the energy is transformed into heat and part of it is transmitted through the material.

Suspended acoustic ceilings, then, are installed for one purpose, or a combination of acoustical purposes (here slightly oversimplified). Suspended acoustic ceilings, made from various materials, are attached t-bar How do suspended acoustic ceilings affect sound performance? It’s hard to use thick absorptive materials on walls, especially soft materials, and still look and function well.

Lows: You can load the back of a suspended ceiling with thick, soft absorptive materials along with air space to treat low bass frequencies.Surfaces: The ceiling plane is the simplest surface to treat acoustically without compromising design.

Ears: In most commercial spaces, the ceiling is closer to our ears than walls treating it helps hearing.But ceilings have several things going for them when it comes to sound control, especially in commercial buildings. Technically, this is an oblique surface to hearing. Unlike walls, ceilings do not reflect sound directly to our hearing, since our ears are oriented on our heads vertically, not horizontally (at least for most of us). This article will explain the wide range of suspended acoustical ceiling types, with a focus on the acoustic characteristics rather than access, installation, or cost.Īn interior design lacking acoustical forethought is a rare commercial project today. What is an acoustic ceiling?Ī suspended acoustic ceiling is a secondary ceiling, hung below the structural ceiling both to treat room acoustics and to look attractive. Suspended ceilings have the added advantage of hiding the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing installations from view while maintaining some level of access to these utilities. Height, the sense of volume, color, texture, and geometry are big parts of that impact-as are the ceiling’s acoustics. (Now, of course, that’s the first thing we do.) Consciously or not, however, no one can escape the impact of a room’s ceiling construction. Before we got into the ceiling business, we never looked up. Some even argue over that assertion. “No, it’s the forgotten sixth surface.” “No,” say still others, “It’s the fifth wall!” We get it. Ceilings are called the forgotten third surface.

TYPE OF CEILING GRIDS