Suspended Ceiling Profiles

Suspended Ceiling Profiles: A Guide to Choosing the Grid

The flatness of a suspended ceiling comes not from the tile but from the carrying grid. In a system set out at the wrong spacing, the panels sag over time and the joint lines go out of true. This section holds 10 products and every one of them has a published price.

Parts of the System

• Main runner: the long profile that carries the load to the slab. It is tied to the concrete with hanger rods.
• Cross tee: drops in perpendicular between the main runners and forms the openings. Our catalogue holds 0.60 m and 1.20 m lengths.
• Perimeter trim (L angle): the edge where the system meets the wall. Its level sets the height of the whole ceiling.
• Hanger rod and clip: set the height; the ceiling level is fine-tuned with these parts.

Spacing and Load

In standard grid systems the spacing of the main runners and the density of the hangers are set by the load the ceiling will carry. Extra hangers are added where a light fitting, an air vent or a speaker will sit — when the weight of these parts falls on a single runner, the profile bends over time. Planning the lighting layout before the grid saves you from having to cut a runner afterwards.

Level and Datum

If the perimeter trim is fixed at the wrong level, the whole ceiling comes out sloping, and that cannot be corrected once the panels are in. Marking the perimeter level with a laser level is the most critical step of the system. Where the walls are not square to one another, the level must be taken from a single reference plane rather than from the wall.

Budget

All 10 products are priced: from 0.45 EUR to 4.34 EUR, with a median of 1.14 EUR. Allow for cutting waste when calculating quantities.

Demountability Is an Advantage

The greatest practical benefit of a grid ceiling is that a panel can be lifted to reach the void above: pulling a cable, changing a fitting or checking the services needs no breaking out. To keep that advantage, leave the equipment placed above the ceiling at accessible points and mark on the drawing what sits under which opening. For fittings whose driver stays above the ceiling, that note saves hours later.