Offices can be noisy and distracting places when acoustics have not been taken into account during the design process.
This can drastically affect employee productivity and concentration, and different conversations can be overheard as noise reverberates and bounces throughout the space.
Whatever your workplace, from quiet office to bustling hub, sound will drastically impact those trying to work. The ideal acoustic will consider the specifics of the business and combat any challenges this throws up – do you need increased privacy, for example? Does one department generate more noise than others? Does another subset need near-silence for concentration? Whatever your acoustic challenges, CCL Interiors can help you to design a space with optimised acoustics.
Suspended ceilings can improve the acoustic conditions in office spaces, because they moderate sound transfer and reverberation. There are several approaches to modifying the way sound bounces through your space, from acoustic ceiling tiles to acoustic insulation to thermal insulation to acoustic partitioning, but suspended ceilings of various iterations are a wonderful cure-all. We’ll go through the various options for optimising your office acoustic in the blog post below.
What is a suspended ceiling?
Worth clarifying before we dive into the benefits! A suspended ceiling, also known as a false ceiling or drop ceiling, is a secondary ceiling. It is suspended from the structural, solid floor surface – or from the roof’s ceiling structure.
A suspended ceiling allows between three and eight inches of void space – very convenient in office spaces for the installation of lights, security cameras, fire prevention and detection systems, speakers, pipework, wiring, ductwork…the list goes on!
It not only allows for a clean finish to your space, without the obstacles of trailing wires and the visual clutter – but it also allows you to moderate a room’s acoustics.
What are suspended ceilings made from?
Suspended ceilings are made from mineral fibre acoustic tiles and a steel grid. Allowing for greater soundproofing, fire retardance and light reflection, they also provide better insulation and ventilation, which should save money on energy bills. Because of their materials, they can easily be piecemeal repaired, replaced and maintained.
The benefits of suspended ceilings for optimised office acoustics
Hand-in-hand with reduced sound levels are reduced stress levels. A quieter environment is a less stressful environment. The lower sound levels allow for improved communication and increased privacy as well as promoting staff wellbeing and encouraging creativity.
Suspended ceilings: Sound absorption versus sound insulation
An optimised office acoustic is about creating a comfortable environment – complete soundproofing is likely to feel strange and uncomfortable for your employees. Instead, you want to create an optimal acoustic environment.
Suspended ceilings: Sound absorption
Sound absorption tackles the amount of reverberating noise in a space. Hard surfaces bounce back noise through a room, increasing echoing and the background volume.
Sound absorbing tiles, created from soft materials, reduce that reflected sound. Sound absorbing tiles are usually created from a material which is soft, or covered in perforations, to create a surface sound that cannot so easily bounce off.
Suspended ceilings: Sound insulation
Sound insulation, or ‘sound attenuation’, tackles the way sound transmits from one room to another through walls, floors, and ceilings. Sound insulating ceiling tiles in a suspended ceiling moderate the way that sounds can pass through the tiles and transmit to neighbouring spaces through the ceiling void.
Sound insulation ceiling tiles are harder. They block sound vibration from escaping through your ceiling in the first place, minimising any transfer to other rooms. These are the ideal solution for increased privacy between workspaces.
Most ceiling tiles used in suspended ceilings in offices are designed predominantly to combat either sound absorption or sound insulation, some tile options do tackle both.
Types of suspended ceilings
There are many types of suspended ceilings, from acoustic ceiling tiles to metal suspended ceilings to fibreglass tiles. Each has its own benefits and purposes:
Tile or panel suspended ceilings
Ceiling tiles or panels are individual units laid across an aluminium grid. They are usually made from mineral fibre, fibreglass, plastic, wood, or metal, and can be made from even more options. A suspended ceiling made from tiles or panels is easy to maintain and quick to install.
Acoustic tiles are designed specifically to reduce noise levels, acoustic ceiling tiles are a popular choice when designing office environments. Their sound absorption allows for quieter office spaces.
Fibreglass tiles are a lightweight and cost-effective solution which is easily installed and maintained, so is a popular solution in both commercial and residential spaces. Made from molten glass in fibre form (and therefore also referred to as ‘glass wool’), fibreglass works similarly to stone wool tiling. These tiles will help to improve privacy through insulating sound in the workplace.
Metal suspended ceilings
Metal suspended ceilings offer a modern aesthetic and are durable and sleek. Giving an industrial look, they are perfect for contemporary workspaces but also for actual commercial and industrial spaces. They are strong, so are suitable for high-traffic areas.
Lath & plaster suspended ceilings
Lath and plaster suspended ceilings are more expensive, but are aesthetically pleasing and fitting to contemporary, artistic office spaces. They have an excellent lifespan and great durability.
Plasterboard suspended ceilings
Plasterboard suspended ceilings are quite common in both commercial and residential settings, sometimes giving a less ‘officey’ look than tiles. Also known as drywall, plasterboard suspended ceilings are relatively economical and durable too.
Free span suspended ceilings
Using planks resting on the perimeter rim rather than tiles or panels, free span suspended ceilings are a great choice for office corridors, and tend to be quite easy to install and maintain.
Aluminium suspended ceilings
Aluminium suspended ceilings reflect light, so are great for bringing light into darker office spaces. You might expect aluminium to create a tinny, echoey acoustic, but of course your metal panels will be perforated in one design or another, allowing for the echo to be negated.
CCL Interiors are experts in providing high-quality suspended ceilings, and have many years of experience working to create the perfect acoustic environment for your office space. We offer our services to fit out all sorts of sizes of commercial space, creating suspended ceiling solutions perfect for your needs. Get in touch with CCL Interiors to see how we can help today.