User:Onehorsetown61/sandbox

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Q&A at the Teahouse: Type of References for an Article about an Industry

I am planning a generic article about ceiling tiles and am wondering about references. Many of the documents about ceiling tiles are written by companies in the industry, so it will be difficult to find "impartial" sources. For example "The Gypsum Construction Handbook" (http://www.usg.com/content/usgcom/en_CA_east/resource-center/gypsum-construction-handbook.html) by CGC, the Canadian arm of USG, is a widely recognized industry resource. I'm wondering--if I quote a variety of companies, with no preference given to any single one, will it be OK to use company web sites for references?

Thank you for your help, Onehorsetown61 (talk) 17:54, 11 February 2014 (UTC)

Welcome to the Teahouse, Onehorsetown61. I recommend that you look for sources in books about construction materials, such as Building and Finishing Walls and Ceilings: Drywall, Paneling, Ceiling Tile, Wall Covering, Trim Moldings, Texturing, or the Handbook of Facility Assessment or Architectural Acoustics. Articles by professional staff writers in trade publications, or websites of established trade associations may also be of use. Limited use of specific pages on manufacturer's websites may be acceptable, as long as these pages are offering a generic overview of the topic as opposed to brand promotion. Your strategy of citing several competing companies will help alleviate promotional concerns. Cullen328 Let's discuss it 04:23, 12 February 2014 (UTC)

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Ceiling tiles have been used for centuries to enhance the beauty and/or acoustic properties of building interiors. Historically these were often done as mosaics. For many years, modern ceiling tiles were basic white, but recent innovations now offer a plethora of options in sizes, colors, materials (including retro designs and faux leather, wood, or metal), visual effects and shapes, patterns, and textures as well as support systems. This article is about modern-day ceiling tiles, also called panels.

Suspended or dropped ceiling
A dropped ceiling is a secondary ceiling, hung below the main (structural) ceiling. It may also be referred to as a drop ceiling, T-bar ceiling, false ceiling, suspended ceiling, grid ceiling, drop in ceiling, or drop out ceiling. Modern dropped ceilings were initially created to hide the building infrastructure, including piping, wiring, and/or ductwork, by creating a plenum space above the dropped ceiling, while allowing access for repairs and inspections. Drop ceilings may also be used to hide problems, such as structural damage. Further, drop out ceilings can also conceal the sprinkler systems while still providing full fire suppression functionality.

Flush
Also called direct mount. nail up, glue up, or stapled.

Faux
metal, leather, wood

Colors and patterns
murals

Commercial
Office, Restaurant/bar, Retail store

Residential
Kitchen, Bath, Living/dining, Basement, Home theater

Accessories
Molding, Ceiling Medallions, Rings, Domes, Decorative relief, Insulation (Might want to duplicate or move this information to the acoustical section, though insulation is also used to increase R-value), Mounting Grid—surface mount or suspension, Ceiling Fan, Ceiling skins, grid/joint strips, clip-on grid covers

Assistance
Samples, How-to articles, Assistance with measuring

Fire Ratings
(Class A Fire Rated for surface burning characteristics, flame spread and smoke development)

ASTM E84 - 11a
Standard Test for Surface Burning Characteristics of Building Materials (Will definitely want to go into how Class A Fire-ratings are tested. For example, we have a competitor who has a Class A Fire-rated Styrofoam tile… however, if you look at his certificate, the tiles have to be affixed to drywall in order to achieve that rating. On their own, they burn faster than paper. He misleads his customers by purposefully leaving out some of this information.)

Noise Reduction Coefficient Testing Results: Ceiling Tile NRC
Could add this to the acoustical section.