Innovations in Ceilings: Using Design to Streamline Installation

At L&W Supply, our teams acquire a great deal of experience delivering and stocking products from the top manufacturers in the ceilings industry. Sometimes, we’re tasked with executing a standard order from a customer, and other times, we’re responsible for determining a specific product solution to a customer’s unique problem.

In these cases, the key trait that sets us apart from our competitors is our ability to navigate the market in order to deliver the best possible product solutions. By equipping our people with the most up-to-date product information, we can help them gain insight into the overall ceilings market and how to best solve our customer’s needs.

This month, we spoke to sales representatives and product specialists from L&W Supply’s Florida and Carolina branches to learn more about commonly used products from USG and American Tin Ceilings.

Donn AdvanceSpan Example

USG Donn AdvanceSpan – 15/16” Corridor HD Grid

AdvanceSpan acoustical suspension systems are designed to be used in corridors where the installation of hanger wires a challenge. This product is ideal for solving the problem of a how to successfully install a suspended ceiling in a crowded plenum space.

• Ideal in applications like schools, hospitals, hotels and multi-family dwellings.
• Spans up to 8’ with no hanger wires.
• Compatible with all standard USG DX and DXT cross tees.

USG MARS 90/30

Mars High–NRC panels are a commonly used product, known for sustainable aesthetics and high acoustic performance. They provide excellent noise reduction coefficient (NRC) and noise isolation (CAC) performance. As an alternative to fiberglass panels, Mars 90 provides balanced acoustics while maintaining a smooth, bright aesthetic.

• Impact and scratch resistant
• Comes in either 90 / 30 NRC rating
• Offers superior sag resistance, including ClimaPlus 30-year lifetime warranty

American Tin Ceilings

Tin ceilings are a cost-effective way to add a decorative finish to a wall or ceiling system. American Tin Ceilings feature a variety of tile types that determine how the panels will be installed, including drop-in panels, nail-up panels, and Snap Lock panels, designed to attach directly to an existing drywall ceiling. They provide a unique opportunity to add an aesthetically pleasing element to a space without having to re-install or re-plan any aspect of the current ceiling system.

• Available in a variety of patterns, colors, and finishes, offering design flexibility.
• Designed to easily install within an existing ceiling or wall system
• All products carry a fire rating of ASTM E 84-03b (Surface Burning Characteristics of Building Materials).

Conclusion

What these three products have in common is they offer design-oriented solutions in response to difficulties experienced during installation process. In the case of AdvanceSpan, the problem is, “How do I go about installing a suspended ceiling in such a crowded space?” In the case of American Tin Ceilings, the problem is related, yet somewhat different: “How do I go about installing a new ceiling element on top of an existing system?”

In both of these cases, the manufacturers created cleverly-designed products that solved these problems while adding new features as well. In the case of Mars Acoustical Ceiling panels, USG designed a product that can match the acoustical performance of fiberglass panels without some of the drawbacks that fiberglass has for installers. For AdvanceSpan and American Tin Ceilings, the solution was to design the product around the existing ceiling system by creating new and easy-to-learn installation methods.

At L&W Supply, we are always interested in products that can streamline the installation process and offer more flexibility for our customers. If you would like to learn more about any of the products mentioned here, follow the links below.

USG Donn AdvanceSpann

• Installation Video from USG

USG Mars

American Tin Ceilings