Humidity resistance
The Challenge
People notice misshapen ceilings and they give a negative impression of the room and of the building. Almost everyone knows of a building in which the suspended ceilings need renovating. One reason for this is the materials inability to perform in all humidity environments.
Humidity can weaken the structure of certain ceiling tiles, which then start to lose their shape because of their own weight. As a result, the ceiling no longer looks flat and in extreme cases it may even sag or fall out of the grid.
Temperature changes cause humidity level changes. Air contains a certain amount of water vapour, which is expressed in % of relative humidity (RH). If the RH reaches 100%, the vapour will condense. In buildings under construction where the building materials have not dried out or are not hermetically sealed, moisture problems can occur. On a nice summer’s day, daytime temperatures can be around 30°C, whereas at night it can easily cool down to 17°C, increasing humidity levels and potentially causing condensation.
In wet rooms such as swimming pools and sanitary areas, and in kitchens, the humidity level is naturally very high, requiring special attention.
CE marking (EN 13964) has implemented a measurement method where the deflection of ceiling tiles is measured horizontally under humid conditions. Deflection is divided in classes of which class 1 is the highest class. The measured deflection may not exceed the product span divided by 500, meaning that a 600x600mm tile should not deflect more than 1.2mm. The humid conditions are classed from A (lowest class) to C (highest class in a non-corrosive atmosphere). The test performed on tiles bending under their own weight is indicated as 0N i.e. no additional load.
Our contribution to performance
Most Rockfon products in standard dimensions are rated 1/C/0N. This means that Rockfon ceiling tiles are dimensionally stable, even at humidity levels of up to 100% RH. As the humidity inside a building has no influence on Rockfon ceiling tiles, the ceiling can be installed at all temperatures ranging from 0ºC to 40ºC.
This also means that no acclimatisation is necessary and that it is possible to install Rockfon ceiling tiles during the very early stage of the build (when windows are not fully sealed) without any risk of deflection of the tiles. FasTrac installation methods utilising reduced numbers of hangers and grid components also benefit from the low weight, stable, non hygroscopic nature of Rockfon tiles which also retain their superior properties even in infrequently heated and unheated rooms.
