A Guide to Office Ceiling Styles
When you start thinking about renovating an office, don’t underestimate the impact the ceiling can have on your space. Not only can ceilings make a decorative statement, they can impact the overall comfort of the environment. Each ceiling style has its own benefits to offer, so how can you decide which is best for your space?
Drop Ceilings
Drop ceilings are an extremely popular ceiling style for offices. This is the style of ceiling where tiles are supported by a grid installed beneath a primary building structure – typically a floor above or roof deck. The tiles in a drop ceiling, also called a lay-in ceiling, can conceal things like ductwork, pipes, and wires while still allowing easy access to them when maintenance is needed. Drop ceilings can also help absorb noise and provide extra insulation that helps reduce energy costs. However, since they do lower the overall height of a room, they can make spaces feel smaller.
Open Ceilings
Open ceilings have been a very popular ceiling trend in recent years. A lot of people love the modern, industrial vibe that they can bring to a space. Plus, open ceilings can help make a space feel larger and support light distribution throughout the office. However, open ceilings do have some downsides that it’s important to be aware of.
Many people make the mistake of thinking an open ceiling is less expensive than other options, but there are some hidden costs associated with them. Creating an open ceiling isn’t a matter of simply removing an existing drop ceiling. Extra work is needed to make an exposed ceiling attractive, which adds to the overall cost of the ceiling. Once a ceiling is removed, the ductwork, electrical, and sprinkler heads will need to be re-worked since they were originally installed assuming they would be hidden. Now they are part of the design, the ducts are typically changed to spiral and the electrical is re-routed to be less visible. If sprinkler heads are present, the code will require them to be re-installed at a higher elevation and pointing up to the floor or roof deck above. Open ceilings can also allow noise to carry throughout an office, so it’s important to include acoustical solutions that will help keep noise levels down. Also, since open ceilings increase the total amount of space that needs to be heated and cooled, they can contribute to higher utility bills.
Felt Panels
If noise levels are a concern for you, PET felt panels are an excellent option to consider for your ceilings. PET felt is a material that’s very durable and more effective at absorbing noise than tiles used in drop ceilings. These systems can also attach to an existing drop ceiling grid, giving you an option to update the look of a ceiling while helping reduce the overall cost. Best of all, PET felt panels are available in a wide range of colors, shapes, and styles, making it both stylish and functional. These can range from standard panel styles in shapes like squares, rectangles, and circles, to striking geometric patterns that cover a room’s ceiling. As an added bonus, PET felt is made of recycled materials and can be fully recycled when it’s no longer needed, making it a great option for companies that value environmental friendliness.
When it’s time to renovate your office, Premier Construction & Design can help create a space that looks great from floor to ceiling. Take a look at our portfolio and case studies to see examples of some projects we’ve worked on. When you’re ready to get started, contact us so that we can learn more about your project.
