Fabric covered tile and lights fixed in a painted surface.
Note the fingerprints: a result of bulb changing.
Although most people don't walk looking up at the
ceiling or enter a room with the ceiling arresting the eye,
ceiling finishes can considerably alter the look of a room
or an area.
The acoustical ceilings we've become familiar with throughout
the buildings are usually one foot square tile, two by four
tiles or two by two tiles. There are two kinds of installation...concealed
spline, wherein no seaming or support is apparent and the
set-in tile installation, exposing the supports that hold
the tiles in place. The concealed spline installation is
more difficult to remove, making accessibility a problem...the
tiles crumble...in areas where, for electrical reasons,
the ceilings must be accessed often.
The acoustical tile has little grooves and holes on the
surface that tend to reduce the reflection of sound and
therefore act to buffer noise. The difference in the noise
level in reception areas or atriums where the ceilings have
a hard finish is readily noticeable.
In addition to the common acoustical tile ceiling, many
architectural firms have opted for a fabric-covered tile.
The softness of the fabric helps to lend an acoustical effect,
while imparting a more attractive, softer presentation.
The fabric-covered tiles are cleanable, although the tiles
must be removed from the ceiling for a successful result.
Very often there is insulation between the tile and the
fabric covering which is yellow in color. In the event of
water damage this insulation will discolor the fabric permanently.
Heating and air conditioning registers blow air that carries
with it impurities and soil. These particles build up on
the surface of the tiles in close proximity to the blowers,
thereby demanding attention. If monitored and addressed
often, the acoustical tiles are cleanable with chemicals
formulated specifically for this purpose. When allowed to
build and permeate the convolutions of the tile, these soils
permanently discolor the tile.
The chemical used for cleaning acoustical tile is a combination
of bleach and oxidizing agents which will adversely affect
other finishes. It is, therefore, extremely difficult to
perform ceiling tile cleaning in occupied space.
A rather new system of resurfacing tiles with a vinyl skin
has worked well in lieu of fabric, offering the advantages
of a designer appearance and at the same time rendering
the tiles exceptionally cleanable. Although the ceiling
may not be the first thing to arrest your eye when entering
a room, keeping the ceiling clean is an important part of
the over-all appearance.
The procedure warms the vinyl to render it pliable, while
a vacuum is activated that pulls the softened vinyl into
the rough texture of the tile, retaining its acoustical
properties. The tile has been treated with glue prior to
the application of the vinyl which permanently affixes the
vinyl to the tile. The vinyl is thin enough to allow for
the tile to be placed back in the ceiling as before.
The benefits of this system are readily apparent since
the vinyls are available in fabric look-alike patterns and
yet are a snap to keep clean...easier than both the original
composite tile or the fabric-covered designer tile.
