Light Reflectance Ceilings
The importance of lighting in any area cannot be over-emphasized. Adequate lighting in a room can have positive effects on the occupants. That’s why we suggest using Light reflectance ceilings.
Also, lighting contributes to and enhances the interior decoration of a building. Natural and electronic light can achieve this if they're projected in the proper proportions.
However, too much light can have adverse effects like eyestrain and inability to focus. On the other hand, too little light can have the same results.
What do you do in this situation? Your next best step is to get a ceiling that can reflect light in adequate proportions.
Most of the ceilings on the market today are white because white ceilings usually have a high light reflectance. These ceilings reflect up to 75% of the available light so that natural light can illuminate the room.
Installing a ceiling with a high light reflectance saves energy. This means you won't have to install too many lights to brighten the room.
When properly and evenly installed in the room, high reflectance ceilings reduce light loads and cooling costs. The benefits go beyond installing lesser lighting fixtures, but it helps to increase savings.
Light Reflectance Values for Ceilings
To better perform the ceiling's reflectance feature in either incident daylight or lighting conditions, the ceiling must have a high light reflectance.
Below are the reasons for this:
● Room Perception
When the sky is brightest, the ceiling reflects the light in the room. A ceiling with high reflectance will reflect the outside conditions. Most of the time, brighter rooms with high ceilings make the room bigger. A dark and low ceiling makes the room look smaller.
● Energy efficacy
A ceiling with a high-light reflective property will facilitate the installation of lighting fixtures and help distribute light evenly across the room. That way, the installed lighting can reach every part without leaving some parts in the dark.
This is even more effective in a workplace; the ceilings reflect enough light to brighten the work desks. Also, high reflectance ceilings can reflect lights with lower effects; after all, high reflectance ceilings are designed to save energy consumption.
● Glare reduction
Another benefit of a high reflectance ceiling is that it reduces the glare from light fittings. Yes! They reflect light but do not reflect light directly without reducing the luminance ratio.
The luminance ratio is the difference between the brightness of the light fittings and the brightness of the light reflected by the ceilings.
However, if the ceiling reflects direct light, the reflected light should be 70% of the original lighting.
Naturally, any indirect light projected towards the ceiling should be reflected, but that's possible depending on the reflectance of the ceiling.
The room’s brightness level will depend solely on how high the ceiling reflectance is, starting from the first reflection.
For every percentage less in light reflectance that the ceiling projects, it affects the efficacy of the lighting system.
The more light there is in a room, the brighter the room is and the happier the people living in it.
Other performance to consider when choosing a high reflectance ceiling
● Acoustics
Ceilings with acoustics are just as important as a ceiling with high reflectance. Acoustic ceilings solve many problems for different spaces.
Whether it's in open spaces or closed spaces, acoustic ceilings still give you the privacy and confidentiality you deserve. Its ability to absorb sounds and stop external noise makes it highly sought after.
If your ceiling has a high light reflectance and an acoustic feature, it fits for installation.
● Fire resistance
It's suitable for your ceiling to have a high reflectance, but it also needs other features like fire resistance.
Not just any fire resistance ceiling but one that has passed through a fire test. In case of a fire, the ability of the ceiling to maintain its integrity and reduce fire spread is what makes it fire-resistant.
Before choosing ceiling tiles, consider a wide range of options first and choose the best.
● Water repellent
A high reflectance ceiling that's not water repellent may lose its property over time. Regular cleaning can make it fade and lose its reflectance property.
Also, cleaning ceilings makes for a brighter and safer space. It reduces the risks of infection due to the bacteria that accumulate in the ceilings.
Then talk about moisture, mold and mildew; when the ceiling is water repellent, it can withstand the moisture without affecting its high reflectance property.
● Impact resistance
Ceilings installed in some places like schools need a high reflectance and an impact-resistant ceiling.
In schools, there will be a heavy impact on the ceilings due to reckless playing and occasional abuse.
However, if the ceiling is designed to resist impact, the ceilings can last longer regardless of their impact.
● Humidity and sag resistance
A ceiling without sag resistance may fall under the pressure of heavy light fixtures or other overhead appliances. However, a ceiling with this sag resistance property can hold up the weight of light fixtures and reflect light properly into the room.
On a final note;
Lighting in a home, an office or any space comes from two sources. It's either natural light or electrical light.
But the ceiling contributes most to distribute the light evenly across the room. If the floor and wall surface is not light-reflecting, then the ceiling must have a high light reflectance for the space to be adequately illuminated.
Illuminated room is very important. It contributes to comfort and increases productivity. If it's not done right, it can cause discomfort to the occupant. And that’s only reflected in the right proportion.
Also, ceilings with a high light resistance save energy and increase savings, so you won't have to spend more money on lighting fixtures to illuminate the room. So, in a room with a high reflectance ceiling, there will be low maintenance costs, reduced lighting fixtures and electrical output.
There are different high reflectance ceilings on the market, and choosing a ceiling that possesses both high reflectance and other properties may be difficult. However, with knowledge of the correct ceiling, you can make the right choice.
USG ME Taiga Acoustical Ceiling is a fantastic product with all these features. There may be others on the market, but only the best stands out regarding quality.