Ceiling Products

Considerations for Choosing Ceiling Products

Though patients lying in their beds spend the most time looking at the ceiling products installed in your healthcare facility, they probably aren’t fully aware of the thought and consideration that goes into choosing the material. Ceiling products provide a barrier between occupied and unoccupied spaces, contain sounds, and aesthetically finish the upper limits of an occupied space. However, ceiling products may contain materials recognized as hazardous — such as mineral wool or formaldehyde—so additional consideration should be given to minimize the environmental impacts of these materials. The functional requirements, including infection control standards, sound attenuation, and housekeeping criteria, should be carefully balanced with choosing sustainable ceiling products made of materials that minimize impacts to the built environment. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Guidelines recommends the following minimum standards:

• Ceilings, including exposed structure in areas normally occupied by patients or staff in food preparation and food storage areas, shall be cleanable with routine housekeeping equipment. Acoustic and lay-in ceiling, where used, shall not interfere with infection control.
• In dietary areas and in other areas where dust fallout may present a problem, monolithic ceilings shall be provided.
• Semi-restricted areas: Ceiling finishes in semi-restricted areas such as airborne infection isolation rooms, protective environment rooms, clean corridors, central sterile supply spaces, specialized radiographic rooms, and minor surgical procedure rooms shall be smooth, scrubbable, non-absorptive, non-perforated, capable of withstanding cleaning with chemicals, and without crevices that can harbor mold and bacterial growth.
• If lay-in ceiling is provided, it should be gasketed or clipped down to prevent the passage of particles from the cavity above the ceiling plane into the semi-restricted environment. Perforated, tegular, serrated, cut, or highly textured tiles are not acceptable.
• Restricted areas. Ceiling finishes in restricted areas such as operating rooms shall be monolithic, scrubbable, and capable of withstanding chemicals. Cracks or perforations in these ceilings are not allowed.

Ceiling Product Availability

Fortunately, there is a wide variety of ceiling products with various elements of sustainability from which to choose. The best choice depends on a variety of product requirements, ranging from light reflectance and noise reduction to scrubbability. The following provides a brief summary of several sustainable ceiling product options.

• Mineral Fiber Ceiling tile derives its name rock wool or slag wool, which are byproducts of the steel manufacturing process. The mineral fiber is combined of an assortment of materials that typically includes corn starch, cellulose, and perlite, but may also include fiberglass. The face of mineral fiber ceiling tile are generally coated with an acrylic latex paint but may also be covered by a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or plastic scrim sheet for applications in high humidity areas or where scrubbability is a criteria. Mineral fiber ceiling tiles can have a recycled content range as high as 80 percent, as well as excellent light reflectance values and noise reduction coefficients. Note! Rock wool has been identified as possibly carcinogenic to humans by the International Agency Research and the National Toxicology Program. Formaldehyde may be present in mineral fiber tile containing fiberglass. Likewise, be aware that biocides are used in ceiling tiles with components such as corn starch that may contribute to the growth of mold or bacteria. Undamaged mineral fiber ceiling products are recyclable.
  

Bottom Line: A good choice for mineral fiber ceiling tiles is to select products that are classified as formaldehyde-free by the Collaborative for High Performance Schools.

• Fiberglass Ceiling tiles are manufactured with a high percentage of glass fiber with a formaldehyde binder. Fiberglass tiles may have as much as 40% reclaimed glass fiber. Most fiberglass tiles are faced with plastic scrim sheet. The noise reduction coefficient of fiberglass tiles is typically superior to mineral wool products and light reflectance values are similar. An international manufacturer of high performance fiberglass ceiling tiles claims up to 90 percent post-consumer recycled content with excellent scrubbability characteristics. As a general rule, fiberglass ceiling tiles cannot be included in ceiling tile reclamation programs.
  

Bottom Line: Some fiberglass ceiling tiles use non-woven fiberglass with formaldehyde-free binders. These are listed in the Collaborative for High Performance schools approved products list.

• Perlite Ceiling tiles are manufactured from expanded volcanic perlite, ceramic clay and inorganic binders. These products are fireproof and will not harbor or provide nutrients for microbial growth. Light reflectance noise reduction values of these tiles are somewhat lower than mineral fiber and fiberglass.
  

Bottom Line: A good choice for wet or high moisture areas or If there is a preference for products without biocides.

• Gypsum Wallboard should be used for ceilings that are required to be monolithic, scrubbable or capable of withstanding chemicals.
  

Bottom Line: Always use a low VOC and high performing paint or coating for gypsum wallboard ceilings.

Product Performance Characteristics

In addition to the material composition of ceiling products, several product performance characteristics should also be considered when selecting the most appropriate sustainable ceiling product for your construction or renovation project, including:

Acoustics

The GGHC recommends ceiling tiles with Ceiling Attenuation Class (CAC) ratings of 35 or greater for spaces with noisy plenum equipment or walls that stop short of the deck. CAC rates a ceiling’s efficiency as a barrier to airborne sound transmission. The higher the number, the better the product. The “Noise Reduction Coefficient” (NRC) is a measure of how much sound is absorbed by a particular material, and is derived from the measured Sound Absorption Coefficients and should b no less than 0.70. These values are listed in manufacturer’s product data pages.

Light Reflectance

Light reflectance is a fundamental property of a material. It is a measure of a material’s ability to reflect visible light. The measure of light reflectance is that fraction of the specified incident light striking a surface that is reflected by the surface. Those striving to improve energy saving lighting systems may often overlook the role of the ceiling. However, high light reflectance ceilings, meaning those with a Light Reflectance value (the ability of a ceiling to reflect light) of 0.83 or higher, can make lighting systems more effective while reducing energy costs and consumption.

Indoor Air Quality

• Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) under their Indoor Advantage Gold Environmental Certification Program.
• Certification by GREENGUARD under their Product Emission Standard for Children & Schools.

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Strategies During Ceiling Installation

Effective and sufficient ventilation is critical to achieving good IAQ during and after activities where suspended ceiling are being installed. Because most ceiling tiles can act as a “sink” to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) being emitted by other products, it is important to follow the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA) IAQ Guidelines for Occupied Buildings Under Construction. These include:

• Protecting heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment from dust and odors
• Emphasize the use of low-emitting products
• Direct exhaust of pollutants to the outside
• Depressurize the work area and pressurize occupied space
• Practice good housekeeping
• Maintain appropriate construction scheduling

Managing Ceiling Product Demolition Wastes

Ceiling tiles that are no longer structurally sound or cannot otherwise be refurbished for reuse can be discarded as non-hazardous solid waste. Ceiling tiles that were manufactured prior to the early 1980’s may contain asbestos and should be tested prior to removal. Only trained, certified workers should handle or remove asbestos-containing materials in accordance with EPA or Health Department regulations. For ceiling tiles that are not hazardous, there are several options for reducing the volume of material sent to the landfill:

• Reuse
  Ceiling tiles that are cosmetically damaged but still structurally sound may be refurbished for reuse. Some manufacturers offer services to clean, sanitize and deodorize existing tiles and them apply a water-base coating that can increase light reflectance, sound resistance and enhance fire ratings.
• Recycling
  Undamaged mineral fiber ceiling tiles can be recycled in some markets, but proximity to a recycler and the volume of tiles may limit the feasibility of doing so. There is no current market for recycling either fiberglass ceiling tiles or gypsum wallboard.
• Composting
  Perlite ceiling products can be used as a soil amendment.

Key Resources

National Institute of Building Sciences IEQ Project

In conjunction with the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board, the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) initiated an Indoor Environmental Quality Project to address compliance issues relating to individuals with multiple chemical sensitivity or electromagnetic sensitivities and appropriate access to buildings.

Federal Green Construction Guide for Specifiers – Acoustical Ceilings

• Federal Leadership in High Performance and Sustainable Buildings Memorandum of Understanding
• EPA’s Final Guidance on Environmentally Preferable Purchasing
• Greening of Government Executive Orders
• EPA’s Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines for recovered content
• ASTM, LEED, Green Globes, and other rating systems and standards

Collaborative for High Performance Schools

The CHPS Criteria is a comprehensive system of benchmarks designed by the CHPS technical committee, which is made up of over fifty school facilities experts including state agency officials, designers, school district officials, contractors, product manufacturers and energy and water utility officials. A CHPS-certified school is a school that has strived to achieve excellence in environmental efficiency and healthy building practices. CHPS recognizes superior design teams and school districts through award ceremonies, case studies and media outreach. Section 01350 contains model specification language detailing recycled content guidelines and maximum VOC emission rates and testing standards for materials.

Green Guide for Healthcare

The Green Guide for Healthcare is the healthcare sector’s first quantifiable sustainable design toolkit integrating enhanced environmental and health principles and practices into the planning, design, construction, operations and maintenance of their facilities. This Guide provides the healthcare sector with a voluntary, self-certifying metric toolkit of best practices that designers, owners, and operators can use to guide and evaluate their progress towards high performance healing environments.