Is it good to choose steel ceiling battens for your newly constructed building?

Metal ceilings are used in both small and large-scale commercial projects, adding visual aesthetics to the space and providing a host of functional benefits that meet the requirements of builders and facility managers alike. The benefits of metal ceiling battens, particularly steel, have been recognized in recent years, with many architectural awards acknowledging designs and outcomes made possible thanks to the versatility of metal ceiling products available in the market. 

The steel ceiling battens is a light-gauge steel ceiling batten system used in residential and commercial buildings. The ceiling battens are top-hat steel channel sections formed from galvanized coil steel. The metallic ceiling batten system also includes a roll-formed perimeter channel and hanger tabs. The components are screw-fixed to timber or steel ceiling framing.

 

A history of metal battens for ceiling 

Board and batten metal roofing and siding have a long history in construction. In siding applications, when wood panels were first used in construction, wood battens were placed over the panel joints to provide additional weather resistance to the materials. In roofing, battens were often incorporated into early handcrafted copper roofing to create a drainage path and allow the individual sheets of panels to be joined in a weather-resistant fashion. 

Metal Pan Ceilings  

This type of metal ceiling uses tiles or ‘pans’ installed within a preferred grid system. The edges of the pan are bent upward at the sides to create a pan. They are commonly used for decorative purposes or to conceal services such as insulation and ducting. They are highly customizable and available in various sizes, perforation patterns, and finishes. 

Benefits of Commercial Metal Ceilings 

When selecting a ceiling for your commercial project, you are likely to be considering a wide range of factors to achieve both aesthetic and functional outcomes. Creating visual appeal that brings a better experience to occupants is often a priority. However, it is just as important as meeting soundproofing, ventilation, fire safety, and budget requirements. 

Despite the different types of metal ceilings, they share various benefits, making them a superior choice for commercial projects. Metal ceilings offer clients and specifiers a flexible, aesthetically-led solution to acoustic control, service integration, and maintenance demands. 

Cost-Efficient 

Metal is far more cost-effective over the longer term than alternative materials. Research commissioned by our partner SAS International into the overall lifetime costs of ceiling materials projected cost savings of 47% for metal suspended ceilings compared with non-metal alternatives, based on a 20-year lifespan. 

Moreover, non-metal alternatives would be considered unserviceable after 10-15 years, whereas SAS metal ceilings have a 30-year life expectancy. SAS has numerous examples of projects showing that even after 30 years, the metal ceiling can look as good as it did the day it was installed. 

Sound Control 

Metal ceilings have been shown to bring superior acoustic performance compared to alternative materials. Metal has a remarkable ability to absorb sound, primarily when used with a mineral wall infill, making metal ceilings an appropriate choice for spaces requiring noise control. A metal ceiling’s ability to absorb sound is primarily dictated by the number and size of perforations in the tile and its sound-absorbing acoustic infill. The greater the perforated area, the more acoustically transparent the tile.