CEILING FINISHES

Definition: A ceiling is the overhead interior surface(s) covering the upper limits of a room and the
underside of a floor or a roof.
Or
A ceiling is a finishing surface concealing the underside of the floor of a storey above or the roof
structure.

Functions or uses of a ceiling

1. Helps to conceal floor and roof construction.
2. Helps create an enclosure and separation between spaces.
3. Provide perfect lighting in the room by controlling diffusion of light.
4. Controls the sound around a room by making it sound proof. Therefore, it prevents the passage of sound
between rooms.

Factors to consider while constructing a ceiling

1. Ceiling aesthetics:
Ceiling finishing materials, colour combinations and ceiling height should serve as a pleasant
environment that enhances the building interiors to a great level
2. Lighting and ceiling:
The ceiling should be constructed in such a way that it maximizes the quantum (amount) of its direct or
indirect lighting. Lighting and ceiling design should go hand in hand to derive an aesthetical appeal.
3. Height and volume ratio:
While constructing the ceiling, give adequate focus to the height of the room. Plan the height of the
residential buildings so that the volume of the room is not affected.
4. Anti-microbial resistance:
Consider an added application that might require the ceiling to be resistant to bacteria and mould growth
which is important for healthy environment.
5. Sound insulation:
The ceiling should absorb the sound generated in the room. It should also be able to prevent sound from
above and reduce the rate of sound interference.

Types of ceilings
1. Exposed ceiling:
- This is the kind of ceiling arrangement that completely expose the structural and mechanical
components of building thus omitting a concept of finished ceiling.
- Exposed ceiling offers the advantages of economy and ease of access for maintenance, and can also
expose the thermal mass of the building.
- If well designed and installed, roof and floor structures can be aesthetically pleasing if left exposed
to the space below such as timber beams, concrete slabs, space trusses etc. The mechanical elements
at the ceiling level can also create an attractive aesthetic effect.

2. Tightly attached ceiling:

- Ceilings made of gypsum, plasterboard, tongued and grooved timber, plywood, chipboards and
plastic boards may be attached tightly to timber joists (brandering) or rafters, steel joists or concrete
slabs.
- Careful planning and fixing is required where beams or other obstructions such as vents, conduits
and pipes protrude through the plane of the ceiling.

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GBC Notes © J. Kiranga
 Plasterboard
 Plasterboard is a rigid board composed of gypsum between durable lining paper outer facings.
 For ceiling applications, the following types of plasterboards can be used:

(i) Baseboard
 1220 x 900 mm and 9.5 mm thick for joist centres up to 400 mm.
 1220 x 600 mm and 12.5 mm thick for joist centres upto 600 mm.
 Baseboards have square edges and can be plaster skim finished. Joints are reinforced with
self-adhesive 50 mm width glass fibre mesh scrim tape or the board manufacturer’s
recommended paper tape.
 Joints should be sealed with adhesive metalized tape.

(ii) Wallboard
 Available in sizes of 9.5 mm, 12.5 mm and 15 mm thickness, 900 mm and 1200 mm widths and
lengths of 1800 mm and 2400 mm.
 Longer boards are produced in two greater thicknesses and a vapour check variation is available.
 Edges are either tapered for taped and filled joints for dry lining or square for skimmed plaster
or textured finishes.

- Plasterboards should be with fixed breaking joint to the underside of floor or ceiling joists using zinc
plated (galvanised) nails or dry-wall screws at 150mm maximum spacing.
- The junction at ceiling to wall is reinforced with glass fibre mesh scrim tape or a preformed plaster
moulding plasterboard cove.

Fig: Plasterboard ceilings

3. Suspended ceilings:
Definition: Suspended ceilings can be defined as ceilings which are fixed to a framework suspended
from main structure thus forming a void between the two components.

Functional requirements of suspended ceilings

(i) They should be easy to construct, repair, maintain and clean.
(ii) They should be so designed that an adequate means of access is provided to the void space for the
maintenance of the suspension system, concealed services and/or light fittings.
(iii) Provide any required sound and/or thermal insulation.
(iv) Provide any required acoustic control in terms of absorption and reverberation.
(v) Provide, if required, structural fire protection to structural steel beams supporting a concrete floor
and contain fire stop cavity barriers within the void at defined intervals.

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GBC Notes © J. Kiranga
 (vi) Conform with the minimum requirements set out in the Building Regulations governing the
restriction of spread of flame over surfaces of ceilings and the exemptions permitting the use of
certain plastic materials.
(vii) Flexural design strength in varying humidity and temperature.
(viii) Resistance to impact.
(ix) Designed on a planning module, preferably a 300 mm dimensional coordinated system.

Functions of suspended ceilings

(i) Provide an important fire break to the underneath of a mezzanine floor.
(ii) To cover and protect possible unsightly building services such as heating pipes, electrical conduits
and ventilation/air conditioning ductwork.
(iii) To enhance the working environment providing a clean, professional finish.

Fig: Suspended Ceiling Grid Framework Layout

Classification of Suspended ceiling

- There is no standard method of classification but the following methods are adopted:
(i) Classification by their function such as illuminated and acoustic suspended ceilings;
(ii) Classification by materials used;
(iii) Classification by method of construction.

Classification by method of construction

- The method is simple since most suspended ceiling types can be placed in one of three groups
namely:-
(i) Jointless suspended ceilings
(ii) Paneled suspended ceiling
(iii) Decorative and open suspended ceiling

Jointless suspended ceilings

- These forms of suspended ceilings provide a continuous and jointless surface with the internal
appearance of a conventional ceiling.
- They may be selected to fulfil fire resistance requirements or to provide a robust form of suspended
ceiling.
- The two common ways of construction are plasterboard or expanded metal lathing soffit with hand
applied plaster finish or a sprayed applied rendering with a cement base.
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GBC Notes © J. Kiranga
 Fig: Typical details of a Jointless suspended ceiling

Panelled suspended ceilings

- These are the most popular form of suspended ceiling consisting of a suspended grid framework to
which the ceiling covering is attached.
- The covering can be of a tile, tray, board or strip format in a wide variety of materials with an
exposed or concealed supporting framework.
- Services such as luminaries can usually be incorporated within the system.
- Generally, panelled systems are easy to assemble and install using a water level or laser beam for
initial and final levelling.
- Provision for maintenance access can be easily incorporated into most systems and layouts.

Fig: Typical Panelled Suspended Ceiling details

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GBC Notes © J. Kiranga
 Fig: Typical Panelled Suspended Ceiling details

Decorative and open suspended ceilings

- These ceilings usually consist of an openwork grid or suspended shapes onto which the lights fixed
at, above or below ceiling level can be trained thus creating a decorative and illuminated effect.
- Many of these ceilings are purpose designed and built as opposed to the proprietary systems
associated with jointless and panelled suspended ceilings

.
Fig: Typical Decorative and Open Suspended Ceiling details

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GBC Notes © J. Kiranga
4. Interstitial ceiling:
- In interstitial ceiling, interstitial space is defined as an intermediate space kept between regular-use
floors. It is commonly located in hospitals and laboratory-type buildings to allow space for
mechanical systems of the building.
- Interstitial space includes walkway for access with a low height. They are mainly employed in
buildings that have the following units
(a) Electrical and communications wiring;
(b) Air conditioning;
(c) Oxygen;
(d) Vacuum pipe work;
(e) Chemical sewer pipe work;
(f) Water and waste pipe work;
(g) Fuel gas pipes;
(h) Compressed air lines.
- The main advantage of interstitial ceilings is that they allow for maintenance and updating work
without interruption of activities in the spaces above or below.

Fig: Interstitial Ceiling

5. Acoustical ceiling:
- Acoustical is used to control sound in building where there is noisy environment like auditorium,
cinema halls, kitchens and theatres.
- Acoustic ceiling is made from fibrous materials (or fibre materials) that would absorb the sound
energy and don’t transmit the sound into another medium as happens with other materials like plaster
and gypsum ceilings.
- Most of the acoustical ceilings noise reduction coefficient (NRC) range from 0.5 to 0.9 (i.e. ceiling
material absorbs 50% to 90% of the sound that reaches it).

6. Radiant chilled Ceilings:

- Radiant chilled ceilings include a network of chilled water coils in ceiling panels with insulation
above. For some systems, pipe work incorporated in the plasterboard, but this is found less
efficient as plaster is an insulator.
- The surface then cools the occupied space by both radiation and convection. This provides even
temperatures throughout the space and avoids draughts.
- Very little space is required for chilled ceiling, which may be installed with a depth of just 100
mm. In some systems, a small bore cooling coils can be embedded in plaster ceiling finishes
themselves.

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GBC Notes © J. Kiranga
7. Convective chilled ceilings:
- These types of ceiling are a deviation from the radiant chilled ceilings in which the network of
chilled water pipes incorporates fins, increasing the proportion of cooling that is provided by
convection.

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GBC Notes © J. Kiranga