Suspended Ceiling Tiles - The Full Guide

Tiled ceiling systems are not something new, they have been around for over 50 years and continue to add value to projects across the country. Suspended ceiling tiles make for a fantastic look in many areas and allow you to access the void above when needed.

What Are Suspended Ceiling Tiles?

Suspended ceiling tiles are demountable panels that are installed in a 24mm or 15mm ceiling grid system. They are generally made from mineral fibre, glass wool and gypsum based products and are made by many major brands including Armstrong, Rockfon, Ecophon, British Gypsum and many more.

Suspended ceilings were believed to have been first used in Japan in the 14th century for aesthetic purposes only. They weren’t constructed from the materials used today but rather simple planks.

The first known use of suspended ceiling tiles in the UK, was at Blackfriars Theatre in London. These ceiling systems were installed to aid the acoustics of the room.

What Do Suspended Ceiling Tiles Do?

Suspended tiles have many uses, but their main purpose is to create a demountable ceiling system, to which you can take out and reinstall the tiles when needed. This allows you to easily access any services above, replace any damaged tiles and simply change them when you like.

Suspended ceilings also provide you with improved light reflectance, humidity resistance and fire performance. And finally, they cover up existing ceilings that may not look as pleasant as you would like. 

How Do You Install Suspended Ceiling Tiles?

Ceiling tiles are super easy to install, they simply pass through your grid system and drop into your ceiling grid. This is also referred to as a lay-in system, as the tiles lay-in to the grid. This is usually straightforward, but you do sometimes come up against situations such as a very tight void, where you would then need to pass ceiling tiles from one wall, over the system and across the ceiling to its place.

Ceiling tiles cuts can also be difficult, but for anyone trained in the art of a tape measure, it shouldn’t be too difficult. The key is to always use a sharp knife and straight edge to get a nice clean cut on the tile.

How Much Do Suspended Ceiling Tiles Cost?

The price of suspended ceiling tiles varies from brand to brand and is also heavily dependent on the performance of the tile. For example, a simple ceiling tile that has minimum technical performance may cost you £9m2, whereas a high performing acoustic ceiling tile can cost upwards of £40m2. The price always reflects the performance and capabilities of the tile.

Where Do You Use Suspended Ceiling Tiles?

Drop ceiling tiles and systems tend to be found more in commercial settings rather than domestic, but there are still many domestic rooms that contain tiled suspended ceilings.

Due to the fire, sound and humidity resistant performance of the tiles, they are used in a variety of areas such as offices, kitchens, libraries, schools, colleges and many more applications.

For more information on suspended ceiling tiles, give our dedicated team a call today on 01253 257500.