Under https://suspendedceilingsberkshire.uk/best-office-ceilings-berkshire/ , a tall partition system that extends from the ground to the ceiling is desirable to regulate the noise in an office environment. There are specific issues that have to be addressed before buying this type of partition system. One issue is fire safety. A tall system that blocks the exit signs, fire extinguishers, sprinkler system or audible alarm noise could possibly be deemed unsafe by the neighborhood fire marshall. This would require its removal or modification to meet up the neighborhood fire codes, per the Fire Marshalls demands. One assumption that is dangerous, is convinced that you know your ceiling height. It might seem you know the ceiling height, but a careful measurement is necessary. Ceilings have a tendency to sag in unsupported areas, and may vary by an inch or more in various places. You should measure the distance from the ground to the ceiling, where ever the panels will meet up with the ceiling, to be certain that the panels will fit. In cases where you have a typical drop ceiling the height can be adjusted upward, by twisting the support wires holding the ceiling framework. Regarding a solid ceiling, you don't have this option. The panels should be slightly shorter compared to the ceiling height, or they will not fit. Then there is the problem of ventilation. Office environments will most likely have some sort of ventilation provided by the air conditioning equipment or heater, or maybe just windows. Enclosing a proposed office by using a floor to ceiling partition system could impede the airflow to that section and require venting. Venting through low and high vents can accommodate some minor level of convection. As heat rises, it can flow from the propose office through the high vents and therefore develop a slightly lower air pressure at the bottom, where cooler air can flow into the proposed office through the reduced vent. A competent panel manufacturer will be able to provide the vents, built into the panel system to support airflow into each office. Lighting is another concern. Panel systems are usually opaque, so that they block light. If an office has its own lighting then your problem is mostly solved. However, in case a propose office doesn't have lighting, then some type of window arrangement included in the panel system would be had a need to provide some light in that office. This can be a good idea to benefit from natural lighting that comes through skylights, or windows facing outside. In case a partition system has generated in windows in strategic locations that accommodate the usage of outside natural lighting, then this may reduce period of time where in fact the electric lights are fired up throughout the day, thus reducing your energy consumption. One justification that tall partition systems are employed would be to supremely control the noise. Short panel systems are not so effective at this, as sound travels as a wave, and simply goes over the most notable of the panel systems and travels through the entire office, until absorbed by soft treatments, such as carpet, drapes, or other absorbing structures. However, sound waves can transfer through a panel system too. The materials used inside a panel is of concern to those seeking maximum noise reduction. Consider this: Sound travels most efficiently through dense, hard mediums. Thus, sound travels better (and faster) through water, than air. Hard mediums can transfer sound better than soft mediums. Another example of this is considering ballistic plastics. A glass surface is hardly bullet resistant because it is hard, and brittle. It cannot withstand the kinetic energy of a bullet, since it cannot flex enough to absorb the energy without breaking. Polycarbonate is a form of clear flexible plastic. Polycarbonate is more bullet resistant than glass, because it is more flexible, and may absorb the impact bette, without breaking. For example, Kevlar fabric is bullet resistant largely due to it's mix of great flexibility and high tensile strength. Now let's get back to the sound issue. Panels that are made from hard materials will transmit sound in one side to another, better that panels made from softer materials. Softer materials are harder for sound to transfer through. They absorb better, and transmit less efficiently. Shear weight is another plus, for the higher sound acoustic rated panels. Considering the problem of sound travelling from one side of a panel to another side, a heavier weight panel will resist this transfer better than a light one. If you need to maximally control and decrease the noise in an office, then the solution is to find a panel that has a somewhat soft and heavy internal structure. This can insure that sound will be absorbed, and not transfer across the panel core, in any great degree. The resistance of sound travelling from one side of a panel to another side is called sound blocking, which differs from sound absorption. Typical fiberglass cored panels, are best for sound absorption, if the fiberglass is housed in a difficult perforated shell, or surface, the sound blocking will undoubtedly be compromised. 1/2 Thick sound rated boards, are soft enough to soak up sound, flexible enough to prevent sound transfer, and heavy enough to block sound transfer. This type of construction could work better for noisy offices than a hard shelled, fiberglass cored panel. Sound absorption is not the only factor. The final issue to be considered may be the connection system for the panels. Many manufacturers provide connectors that must be fastened with screws or bolts from below and above the panel system. If the panels go to the ceiling, then it might be impossible to fasten the connectors. If tools are required, you could find yourself needing a complete 12 of space above the panels, to accommodate the usage of a phillips screwdriver for an average fastener system comprising screws. Some manufacturers may only require an inch roughly to find the connectors in place. That is ideal. The tiny gap at the very top could easily be filled in through the use of upholstery foam, cut to the correct width and height. It is just a good idea to check with the maker of the panel system, and have the way the connectors are installed, and just how much room is required to accommodate the application of tools (if required) for connecting the panel system together.
https://suspendedceilingsberkshire.uk/best-office-ceilings-berkshire/
