Acoustic ceiling tiles can last a long time if properly maintained and cleaned, but how exactly do you clean a ceiling panel? Let’s review some tips for cleaning and maintaining ceiling tiles to ensure that they provide excellent sound control and look great for years to come.
Acoustic Ceiling Maintenance Advice
At Ozburn-Hessey, we do more than just install acoustic ceilings and flooring. We also ensure our customers have the knowledge to support their newly installed acoustic tiles. We get a lot of questions, and one of the most common is: how do you maintain ceiling tiles? Since these products aren’t incredibly common in homes, most people don’t know how to take care of them. Luckily, we can help.
One of the best ways to ensure that acoustic ceiling tiles last a long time is to manage the humidity of your home or business. Acoustic panels are manufactured to absorb sound, but if you’re not careful, they can also soak up moisture from the air in a room. There are a few ways to help ensure that the humidity in a space isn’t too high, but the best method is to monitor indoor and outdoor humidity with a sensor. Many modern smart thermostats provide readings of interior humidity, and that is helpful, but it’s not enough. If humidity is a concern, especially in the summer here in Nashville, try to use a tool to monitor the humidity in any room with acoustic tiles in it.
Fortunately, many modern tiles are made to be moisture-resistant, but even the highest-quality materials can still fall victim to excess moisture. Using dehumidifiers and properly ventilating your home or commercial space can lower the risk of moisture damage, sagging, and discoloration.
Since many acoustic ceiling tiles are installed in drop ceilings, the risk of water damage from pipes hidden behind the panels is also possible. One important aspect of tile maintenance is performing regular checks and maintenance of the plumbing and roof integrity. A small, persistent leak can quickly damage and discolor multiple acoustic panels if it’s not caught early, and this can lead to costly repairs for your ceilings and the overall structure of a commercial space. Ultimately, the best approach to maintaining and protecting acoustic ceilings from moisture is to be proactive. If you are looking for signs of moisture in a space, odds are you’ll catch it and save yourself from costly repairs.
Cleaning Acoustic Tiles
Cleaning your acoustic ceiling tiles will not only keep them looking great, but it’ll also guarantee that they do what they’re meant to do: absorb sound. Besides moisture, the biggest enemy of the acoustic panel is dust. Since ceilings can be a challenge to reach, they aren’t cleaned nearly as often or as thoroughly as flooring. We recommend regular dusting and deeper cleaning at least twice a year for our customers, no matter how many acoustic ceilings they have. Dusting acoustic ceilings can be done with gentle, soft materials like natural hair brushes or vacuum attachments. Removing the dust accumulations from your acoustic ceilings keeps them looking clean and helps make sure they work as intended.
If you can’t reach your acoustical ceiling panels easily, you may need to hire a cleaning company to help with regular sanitization. These cleaners can also perform a deeper cleaning, which involves removing the panels and doing a more thorough dusting. You can use mild, dye-free detergents and small amounts of water to clean panels on both sides, drying them gently with a soft cloth like microfiber before returning them to their original positions. Removing dust and any other dirt from the panels is not difficult if it’s done regularly, but it may take extra work in spaces like kitchens or fabrication areas. When in doubt, consult a cleaning service for their expertise to ensure that you’re getting your acoustic ceilings as clean as possible.
Enjoy Acoustic Ceiling Tiles for Years to Come
We all want our homes and commercial buildings to look their best at all times, and acoustic ceilings are no exception. If you want to learn more about maintaining your acoustical ceiling panels or are in the market for a new installation, call the professionals at Ozburn-Hessey today.