It is said by some authorities that drop ceiling panels were invented in 1958, first used in commercial buildings and later for residences. The first ceilings were made of a common material called gypsum, a chalky compound now mostly used to manufacture drywall.
At first, all the stuff that today is hidden away was exposed. Old farmhouses, which used to have outhouses and wood stoves, now had pipes running overhead in the kitchen and up the walls in the stairwells. Warehouses and office buildings also had networks of utilities in plain sight if the workers looked up.
Especially in commercial buildings, the profusion of these utilitarian components could be very untidy. Once the concept of a lightweight, suspended second ceiling was conceived, it became instantly popular. Consisting of a hanging grid suspended by wires, with spaces to hold tiles made of gypsum and later of tin or mineral fibers, the ceilings hid the wires and pipes but did not block access for maintenance and repair.
The basic design was a series of tiles in regular rows, interspersed with fluorescent lighting panels whose covers fit in the grid. Over time, leaks would result in staining and sagging of the tiles, or a tile would break and a gaping hole would remain until another could be fit in the space. Function definitely triumphed over any sort of decorating sense.
Today, however, decorators and architects have embraced this sort of construction to renovate a damaged or unsightly room, to make a wide open space more intimate and cozy, or to give a unique look to any space. Modern tiles can be plain or can mimic antique plaster or tin. Thousands of looks can be achieved with two foot square or two by four foot rectangular tiles, and today many brands are in part recycled materials.
The modern drop ceiling panels are used by do it yourselfers, decorators, and building contractors who want both form and function. They are still affordable and easy to install, but now can be beautiful as well.
At first, all the stuff that today is hidden away was exposed. Old farmhouses, which used to have outhouses and wood stoves, now had pipes running overhead in the kitchen and up the walls in the stairwells. Warehouses and office buildings also had networks of utilities in plain sight if the workers looked up.
Especially in commercial buildings, the profusion of these utilitarian components could be very untidy. Once the concept of a lightweight, suspended second ceiling was conceived, it became instantly popular. Consisting of a hanging grid suspended by wires, with spaces to hold tiles made of gypsum and later of tin or mineral fibers, the ceilings hid the wires and pipes but did not block access for maintenance and repair.
The basic design was a series of tiles in regular rows, interspersed with fluorescent lighting panels whose covers fit in the grid. Over time, leaks would result in staining and sagging of the tiles, or a tile would break and a gaping hole would remain until another could be fit in the space. Function definitely triumphed over any sort of decorating sense.
Today, however, decorators and architects have embraced this sort of construction to renovate a damaged or unsightly room, to make a wide open space more intimate and cozy, or to give a unique look to any space. Modern tiles can be plain or can mimic antique plaster or tin. Thousands of looks can be achieved with two foot square or two by four foot rectangular tiles, and today many brands are in part recycled materials.
The modern drop ceiling panels are used by do it yourselfers, decorators, and building contractors who want both form and function. They are still affordable and easy to install, but now can be beautiful as well.
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