False ceiling

❑ False Ceiling
• A dropped ceiling or secondary ceiling, hung
below the main (structural) ceiling is called a
false ceiling.
• The false ceiling was originally developed to
conceal the underside of the floor above and
offer acoustic balance and control in a room .
• Due to versatile nature and other important
features viz light fittings ,false ceiling has
become an indispensible feature for every
commercial as well as residential places.
• Most of materials used for false ceiling like
wood, metal, plastic,gypsum, pop, mineral
fiberboards etc have good workability .
Purpose / Need of False Ceilings

• It improves aesthetical appearance ( form, color, treatment

etc.) & proportions by managing room – heights basically.

• It hides ducting & ugly structural members like beams, etc

that usually spoil the ‘look’ of the room are concealed.

• Provides insulation from heat.

• Acoustical improvement.

• As a design element to create various shapes and curves.

• Fire safety is always a factor in several industrial buildings, ceiling tiles made
from mineral fibres or fire-rated wood panels can be used within the construction to
meet acceptable standards and ratings.

• Light reflectance - A ceiling which reflects more light can reduce lighting and
electricity costs.

• Provides sound proof rooms such as meeting rooms, conference rooms, etc,
which require a quit environment.
❑ Properties of a good ceiling
• It should be Durable, and portable .
• Material used should be Light weight.
• Should be Water proof .
• Should have great Fire resistance .
• Easy installation .
• Sound proof .
❑ Disadvantages-
• Reduced headroom - As the minimum clearance for ductwork is 4 to 8 inch
thus headroom space is reduced in case where room height is less.
• The most worrying aspect of having a false ceiling would be pests. They can
get through into the space between and can start their own breeding which might
lead to a lot of trouble.
• Also be careful while putting up decorations or hangings while you have a
false ceiling in place. Make sure you know the strength and durability, before
providing any hangings or installations.
 ELEMENTS OF A FALSE CEILING
A suspended ceiling system consists of 3 parts:
• Primary Members
• Secondary Members and
• Main Ceiling Material or Tiles (e.g. acoustic boards, cloth etc.)

These primary and secondary members are called the structural members and
form the framework on which the boards, lighting fixtures, A.C ducts etc. are fixed.
The diagram below depicts all the important parts of a false ceiling (suspended
ceiling) system:

1) Main Runners
2) Secondary members
3) Perimeter section
4) Hanging member
5) Tile
 TYPES OF FALSE CEILING SYSTEMS
Suspended ceilings are created using metal grid
systems, which are suspended below the ceiling or
roof deck using a series of wires. The grid is then
filled in with ceiling tiles, which are primarily made
from mineral fibre blends. Depending up on the
appearance and visibility of the members false
ceilings are classified in to two types. They are:
1. Exposed Grid
2. Concealed grid

❑ EXPOSED GRID SYSTEMS

• A system where the grid is
visible and into which panels
are laid.
• mainly used for commercial
interiors.
• The grid is finished in colours
to harmonise or contrast with
the panels is known
as exposed grid type ceiling.
❑ CONCEALED GRID SYSTEMS
• Concealed grid systems use the sheets/tiles to
hide the grid system from view.
This creates a smooth, clean which is
aesthetically pleasing. The tile used has a
small groove built into it's perimeter, which slides
over the mains and tees to cover them.
• Various metal and a few kinds of pop ceilings
come under this category This type
is more expensive than an exposed system.
• This kind of false ceiling system is difficult for
maintenance to access areas above
the ceiling.
• Figures showing sections of the concealed grid
ceilings
 Material Used in False Ceiling

1. Concealed 2. Exposed

(A)Plaster of Paris (A) Fibre

(B) Gypsum (B) Metal
(C) Wooden (C) Glass
(D) Synthetic Leather or Cloth
 1.(A) POP(Plaster of Paris) false ceiling
❑ Compositions of POP
• It is a mixture of calcined
gypsum(calcium sylphate dehyadrate)
sand and water.
• When the ingredients are mixed
together and the subsequent paste is
allowed to dry it hardens and forms a
tough coating

• Plaster of Paris (POP) is commonly used

for constructing false ceilings.it is also used for wall
finishings
• As tough as POP is when dry, it is still soft enough
to be sanded and carved.
• Used majorly to create decorative molding.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF POP
• Plaster of Paris is easy to spread and level.
• It is highly fire resistant.
• It forms a thick surface to resist normal knocks after drying.
• It expands very slightly on the setting.
• It does not cause cracking of surfaces. It gives a decorative
interior finish.
• It mixes up easily with water.

 Advantages of Plaster of Paris:

• It is light in weight and more durable.

• It has low thermal conductivity.

• It is very good fire resistant and hence a very good heat insulating material.

• It does not shrink while setting. Therefore, it does not develop cracks on heating
or setting.

• It forms a thick surface to resist normal knocks after drying.

• It mixes up easily with water and is easy to spread and level.
• It has good adhesion on fibrous materials.
• It gives a firm surface on which the colours can settle.
• It has no appreciable chemical action on paint and does not cause alkali attack.
• Plaster of Paris gives a decorative interior finish. Its gypsum content provides it
a lot of shine and smoothness.
• It can easily be moulded into any shape.

 Disadvantages of Plaster of Paris

• It is more expensive than cement or cement lime plaster.

• It cannot be used in moist situations.

• Skilled labour is required for precise application and thus labour cost for
applying plaster of Paris is high.

• Cracks developed after passage of time.

2. Gypsum board false ceiling
• Gypsum false ceiling consists of gypsum boards that are being supported
by Iron framework.
Gypsum is a Soft, light weight hydrated sulphate of calcium.
• Earlier it was very laborious work to install a roof with the traditional
methods, but with the advent of gypsum boards for false ceiling, it became
easy to install and also cheaper.
 Characteristics of Gypsum
• It is available in variable thickness and sizes as well.
• It is quite light weight and is easy to install.
• This type of false ceiling are Sound insulated, fire resistance, soft and
thermally insulated.
• The finishing work on these boards gives good look.
 Sizes of gypsum board

1) 4’x 4’
2) 4’x 6’
3) 6’x 6’

Thickness of gypsum board

❑ 8mm
❑10mm (mostly used for false ceilings )
❑12mm
❑ Upto 20 mm
 Advantages of Gypsum Board Construction:

❑Gypsum board walls and ceilings have a number of outstanding

advantages:
1.Ease of installation
• Gypsum board building systems are Easy to Install
for several reasons.
• Gypsum board panels are relatively large
compared to other materials.
• They come in 48- and 54-inch wide sheets and in
lengths of 8, 10, or 12 feet, so they quickly cover
large wall and ceiling areas.
• Gypsum board assemblies require only a few
tools for their construction.
• It can also be adhesively attached to many substrates.
• Gypsum board is a lightweight material.
• Two workers can easily handle most panels and
cover large areas in very short time periods.
• Gypsum board is easily finished using either a few
hand tools or relatively modest machines.
• Gypsum board installers can quickly learn most
application techniques in a few hours.
2. Fire resistance
• Gypsum board is an excellent fire-resistive building material.
• It is the most commonly used interior finish where fire resistance
classifications are required.
• When installed in combination with other materials in laboratory-tested wall
and ceiling assemblies, gypsum board serves to effectively protect building
elements from fire for prescribed time periods.
3. Durability
• Gypsum board is used to construct strong, high quality walls and ceilings that
offer excellent dimensional stability and durability.
• Surfaces created using gypsum board are easily decorated and refinished
4. Economy
• Gypsum board is readily available and easy to apply.

5. Versatility
• Gypsum board satisfies a wide range of architectural requirements for
design.
• Ease of application, performance, ease of repair, availability, and its
adaptability to all forms of decoration combine to make gypsum board
unmatched by any other surfacing product
• Gypsum board can be applied over wood or metal framing or furring.

5. Sound Insolation
• Gypsum board wall and ceilings systems effectively help control sound
transmission.
COMPARISON

P.O.P
1. Cheaper but difficult installation.
2. Board size 2’ x 3’
3. Requires more framework .
4. More joints.
5. Heavier than gypsum.
6. More possibility of cracking.
7. Harder to work.
8. More messy.
9. Less strength .
10.Shorter life span.
GYPSUM
1. Costlier but easy installation.
2. Board size 4’ x 6’,4’x 8’,etc.
3. Less framework required.
4. Lesser joints required.
5. Lighter than POP.
6. Less possibilities of cracking.
7. Easy to work.
8. No mess is created.
9. More stronger than POP.
10. Long lasting
 3. Glass false ceiling

❑ Usual transparent glass is never used ,as it

contradicts With the idea of fase ceiling to hide
from the Viewers’eye any defects or
irregularities, and services Such as electrical,
air conditioning systems etc.

❑ Frosted glass is mainly used other than

Black painted,stained glass,mirrors etc.
 Advantages of Glass ceiling :

❑ Creates the illusion of depth, and

makes the room visually higher.
❑ Resists moisture and temperature
fluctuations.
❑ Easy to clean and maintain.
❑ Suspended glass ceilings can be
decoratively used by using desired
image on stained glass.

Disadvantages of Glass ceiling :

❑ Hard and brittle to cut,drill and work with ,need to

handled carefully.
❑ Suspended glass ceilings are quite heavy
compared to other ceiling materials.
❑ It is dangerous if glass tiles breaks during repair
works.
❑ It is not advisible in earthquake prone areas.