An acoustic ceiling blocks sound from moving from one side of the ceiling to another. Sound moves easily from one room to another through the ceiling. Especially in office environments where lots of people share a small space. The sound moves through the ceiling into the roof and then down again into the next office. An acoustic ceiling creates a barrier to keep sound in one office and prevent it going into another. This, coupled with drywalls which go through the ceiling all the way to the roof, results in a office space which is sound proof
Acoustic ceiling types
There are two kinds of acoustic ceilings, namely rhinolite and drop ceiling. Made from 9mm plasterboard and skimmed to a smooth finish, rhinolite ceilings are a winner for any office or home. Converting this ceiling type from a standard rhinolite to an acoustic is easy. Manufactured by Gyproc, Soundbloc boards are 15mm thick and made from a more dense gypsum formula. Thereby giving them superior acoustic performance. This, coupled with one of our ceiling insulations, makes for very effective sound dampening
On the other hand, drop ceilings are almost only used in office environments and to make them acoustically better is the same solution. By using a thicker, more dense panel, a greater sound barrier is achieved. Whether your drop ceiling has 1200 x 600 or 600 x 600 panels, these panels come in 12.5mm and 15mm thick acoustic material which creates an sound proof ceiling. Both these, when used in conjunction with insulation, should give a satisfactory acoustic performance.
The only other way to add more performance to the above is to add another layer of ceiling to the existing. You essentially have two ceilings with twice the insulation. Also bear in mind that ceiling insulation differs in thickness and density. Read more about that on our ceiling insulation page.
