If you’re thinking of renovating your office, or upgrades need to be made to a dated space, you might not have thought about how to upgrade your ceiling. The truth is that a suspended ceiling can bring many benefits to your office space and the individuals working hard within it. Suspended ceilings, or dropped ceilings, have been a part of architecture as far back as 14th Century Japan, and were further developed in the USA in the 1920s. Grid support systems came into play in 1950, with fully accessible grid ceilings taking centre stage in 1958. Nowadays, suspended ceilings are becomingly increasingly common in commercial settings due to various factors and many benefits. We will have a look at those factors and benefits now, as well as some of the disadvantages to be aware of!

Advantages of Suspended Ceilings

  • Ease of install.

Suspended ceilings are easy to install. With the right planning, measurements, and accuracy, a suspended ceiling installation can be done smoothly with relatively little disruption to an office.

  • Improved soundproofing.

A suspended ceiling does a lot to soundproof a room and reduce the transmission of sound. Blocking out the sounds of the outside or maybe the floor above will make a room a lot cosier and remove distracting noises that could distract workers.

  • Hides unsightly things.

Any imperfections on the ceiling can be quickly covered over with a suspended ceiling. The useful cavity between the original ceiling and the suspended one can be used to house all kinds of unsightly things that would otherwise be distracting, messy, or possibly even dangers. You can hide wires, pipes, air ventilation systems, even fire safety components above a suspended ceiling.

Disadvantages of Suspended Ceilings

  • Reduces space.

While a suspended ceiling does provide a place to hide unsightly wires and thus reduces the floor space used by these elements, it comes at the cost of sacrificing your taller rooms. If you have a smaller height of room to begin with, it’s going to be even more obvious is you install a suspended ceiling. You lose several inches, possibly several feet, with the addition of suspended ceiling which could make a room feel more claustrophobic and stuffier.

  • Deteriorate quickly.

While a suspended ceiling does add value to a room, if the wrong materials are chosen, they can be sensitive to deterioration and thus the lifespan can be less than a standard ceiling. This could add up to be quite a costly expense as you need to maintain it and even replace it regularly. However, choosing the better materials will help you to get more out of your suspended ceiling.

  • Not as sturdy.

In the event of fire or earthquake, a suspended ceiling doesn’t have the best chances of surviving. In such incidents, there is the risk of the suspended ceiling falling thus being an extra risk to workers in the office.

The Experts of Suspended Ceilings

This information has likely got your brain firing on the subject of suspended ceilings. They may well be just the right solution for you and your office! To get the best results, it’s best to get the advice and experience of experts instead of trying to go it alone. With this in mind, do some research and find a company, such as Western Industrial, that specialise in this kind of installation and can help you to find the perfect suspended ceiling to suit your office. A suspended ceiling can add a clean and bright aesthetic, while bringing financial benefits to your office, if it is done in the right way