The Effects Of Metal Ceiling Tiles

Decorative ceilings have become a major contributor to many restaurants' overall ambience. From the stained glass of Canter's Deli in Los Angeles to the lush plants of Segev Kitchen Garden in Israel, creative ceilings often become a hallmark of a particular establishment. Your restaurant doesn't have to go that far to have a beautiful ceiling, of course, and you can have lovely patterns overhead by adding metal ceiling tiles. If you use these, however, keep a few things in mind to ensure the tiles offer only benefits.

Noise Control in the Restaurant

Metal reflects noise, so if you have metal tiles, even thin ones, increase the noise control in the rest of the restaurant. Have comfortably upholstered chairs and booths, good carpeting, and nice wall tapestries or acoustic wall tiles to compensate for potential echoes promoted by the metal ceiling. Your restaurant should already have noise control in place, as no one really wants to shout at their dining companions over the din of utensils and plates clattering on tables, but with metal tiles, you'll want a little extra. Keeping things quieter in a restaurant never hurt anyone.

Light, Dark, and Atmosphere

Metal ceiling tiles come in several colors, ranging from light silver to darker bronze and brass. That coloring is going to affect the atmosphere of your restaurant. Darker tiles will make things cozier while lighter tiles can make things seem lighter and brighter. If you choose tiles more for their pattern than their color, take another look at the decor in the rest of the dining area to ensure that the shade of the tiles isn't changing how you want your restaurant to be perceived.

Reflections and Glare

Metal tiles can reflect light in addition to sound. As you place the restaurant lights, keep in mind that you'll need to provide some sort of cover to prevent the light from hitting the ceiling tiles and reflecting back glare toward customers. The angle of the lights can affect glare, too. In other words, you'll need to work out how to avoid aiming lights at customers' eyes while also avoiding aiming lights at reflective metal. One option is to choose metal tiles that don't have a very polished, shiny look.

Metal tiles come in many, many varieties now, so just keep looking if you still haven't found the perfect tiles. Your restaurant will look fabulous with the right tiles in place. Contact a company that sells restaurant ceiling tiles to learn more about your options.