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Plasterboard
Boarded, jointed and skimmed into a single seamless surface, then painted. It gives the cleanest finish, carries cove lighting and bulkheads, and is what almost every home and client-facing office uses. The trade-off is access: getting above it means cutting it, so access panels have to be planned before boarding, not after.
Mineral-fibre grid tiles
A visible or concealed metal grid holding lay-in tiles. Faster, cheaper, and any tile lifts out in seconds — which is exactly why back-of-house areas, server rooms, warehouses and corridors full of valves use it. It reads as more utilitarian, and the grid lines are always visible.
Choosing between them
- Client-facing space. Plasterboard, almost always.
- Anything with valves, dampers or FCUs above. Grid tiles, or plasterboard with generous access panels.
- Wet areas and F&B back-of-house. Moisture-resistant board, or a washable tile rated for it.
- Tight budget over a large area. Grid tiles cover ground far faster.
How much headroom you lose
Usually 150mm to 300mm, set by the deepest duct or beam above rather than by the ceiling itself. Where headroom is tight, dropping the ceiling only over the service runs and keeping the rest high is nearly always better than a uniform low ceiling.
Decide where the access panels go before the board goes up. Afterwards it is a repair, not a detail.
What to confirm in a quote
Board type and thickness, the suspension system, how many access panels are included and where, and whether cut-outs for lighting, sprinklers and air-con are in scope or the other trades'.
- #false ceiling
- #plasterboard
- #fit-out
This article is general information. Every property is different, so have the work assessed by a qualified professional before it starts.
