Whether the building project is new construction, retrofit or restoration, every contractor knows saving time means saving money. That’s why it’s critical to work with materials and products that are geared to perform. With a vast sea of manufacturers in any given building material category, the differentiator between them often comes down to the innovation that drives the products and their proven performance in the field. This is especially true when it comes to ceiling suspension systems, which often cover large swaths of square footage, with much of the engineering that goes into the products hidden out of sight behind ceiling panels.
The CertainTeed Architectural family of suspension systems are designed and engineered to provide strong, stable, time-saving solutions that consistently put money back in contractors’ pockets.
CertainTeed Architectural is constantly looking for ways to innovate new solutions and improve existing ones to yield systems with strength, efficiency and speed of installation. Part of that lies in the engineering. Part of it lies in the decades of in-the-field experience that the faces behind CertainTeed Architectural suspension systems team have. But an even larger part lies in something simpler: listening.
Real-world input from contractors and installers drives so much of the team’s product development and improvement—and the measurable results.
“There are many products I purchase that I feel we don’t have a voice in, where we’re just an end user,” says Kevin Moran, general superintendent of Providence, Rhode Island–based Premier Land Development, who regularly uses CertainTeed Architectural in his construction projects. “I feel like there’s more of a relationship with the folks at CertainTeed Architectural where they’re looking for me to get the best out of my projects. They’re looking for when contractors develop issues, and then try to come up with a good solution and save the contractor time and money. It makes life very easy for us.”
From large-scale commercial acoustical ceiling installations in new construction to multi-unit drywall installations in retrofit projects, here’s a look at CertainTeed Architectural suspension systems and accessories that offer reliable solutions to help you work easier and faster from start to finish.
EZ Stab: Acoustical Ceilings Done Easier
With commercial acoustical ceiling installations, even saving small amounts of time on specific installation steps can add up to large savings over the course of a job. The CertainTeed Architectural EZ Stab family of acoustical suspension systems empowers installers to perform faster, easier installations at every step of the process.
That’s due in large part to the fact that CertainTeed Architectural worked directly with contractors and ceiling installers in refining and field testing the features of the EZ Stab line. Working directly with pros in the field provides valuable real-world input that helps CertainTeed Architectural develop, innovate and improve products with tangible time-saving advantages.
One of the most important features of the EZ Stab line is the patented Latitude Holes™, which offer greater versatility with hanger wire placement. These hanger wire holes are positioned higher in the bulb of each tee and spaced more frequently at every 3 inches—as opposed to the more standard spacing of 6 or 12 inches. The greater frequency provides more attachment options with an easier ability to create sturdy, rigid systems. And the higher placement of the holes in the bulb helps keep hanger wires out of the way when placing lay-in panels.
“It’s very beneficial when you have the option to go to a hole only 3 inches away with your hanger wire and get a good, strong hold in the suspension system, instead of going lower on the main tee and having to stretch farther or not far enough,” says Reid McCauley, general manager of Wood Cogger, a ceiling contractor who recently installed 15/16" EZ Stab Classic System in the retrofit of a multi-story government building in Saskatchewan, Canada.
“The other real advantage to it is you don’t have the battle of the loop of the wire at the bottom ending up in the way of putting the ceiling tile in.”
There are several other small but mighty innovations in the EZ Stab line. The EZ Clip allows for lower tee insertion force and easier removability to make adjustments without damaging the clip. Wider slots with larger openings on the tees also create better accuracy when installers have to install pieces from a distance. And centering tabs on 9/16” systems help keep trim edge panels pieces positioned within the opening so that there are no gaps around the perimeter. Plus, with two rows of continuous stitching, EZ Stab’s hot-dipped, galvanized steel construction creates maximum strength and torsional rigidity for suspension systems that remain rigid.
The EZ Stab line includes a variety of acoustical suspension system options to support any project, from seismic, clean room and high-humidity installations, to narrow profile and bolt slot systems. All products in the family work seamlessly with CertainTeed Architectural’s durable acoustical ceiling panels.
With the EZ Stab family, CertainTeed Architectural has reinforced the core tenet of all its grid products: Creating time-saving systems that are powered by expert knowledge, in-the-field experience and customer feedback to put money back in contractors’ pockets.
QuickSpan™: The Gold Standard for Drywall Spanning Systems
When it comes to drywall installations, spanning systems are a faster solution for corridor and small room applications—and no other system is better suited for these installations than the QuickSpan™ Locking Drywall Grid System from CertainTeed Architectural.
With innovations like a locking channel that clicks tees into place without screws or crimpers and a support clip that reduces the number of hanger wires needed, QuickSpan achieves longer, stronger unsupported spans faster than any other system in the industry. These features and other innovations will help your crew cover more square footage with fewer installers in less time.
Chief among the innovations is the click-in locking channel, which allows installers to quickly twist tees into place while locking tabs prevent lateral and upward movement. There’s no need for screws, pop rivets or crimpers.
“That’s the key—the ability to lock it in without having to put the screws in,” says Moran of Premier Land Development. Moran and his team installed hundreds of thousands of square feet in their recent redevelopment of several historic mills in Rhode Island. “We’re subdividing the mills into bays, and each are about 30 feet long,” he adds. “If we’re putting up 15 pieces of QuickSpan, it may be a half an hour of time saved over a true stud job in a single bay. Multiply that across a thousand bays, and it’s a fairly large time savings at the end of the job. QuickSpan really does what its’ supposed to do.”
The QuickSpan system also features the QuickSpan Support Clip, an accessory that simply slides and snaps into place on carrying tees to reduce the number of hanger wires needed and achieve longer unsupported spans. The support clip can achieve spans of up to 16 feet with fewer hanger wires—the longest unsupported span available in the industry.
That makes QuickSpan ideal for quick, sturdy installation for everything from corridors, offices and condominiums, to hotels, education, healthcare and more.
Terminus: The Finishing Touch
The foundation for any suspended ceiling is the suspension systems. But it’s the final touches your customers see. The CertainTeed Architectural suspension systems family is complemented by a full slate of Terminus accessories for practical, easy-to-install perimeter trim that give installations the smooth, clean finish customers are looking for.
Perimeter Trim creates a clean finish for suspended ceiling elements with exposed edges—like clouds, peninsulas or ceiling height transitions. It’s available in straight, concave or convex, as well as five different edge details to suit traditional lay-in panels, concealed grid designs or drywall ceilings. A variety of profile heights and edges, as well as factory-mitered corner kits, provide additional design and installation versatility.
Transitions enable multi-level ceiling transitions without the need for traditional labor-intensive bulkheads, while glazing channels provide solutions for same-level transitions over a glass pane with acoustical, semi-concealed and drywall ceilings.
All products in the Terminus line of accessories fully integrate with all standard suspended ceiling systems, allowing you to create easy seamless finishes.
The Support You Need When You Need It
A good manufacturer is also an installation partner. All CertainTeed Architectural suspension systems are backed by technical experts who are at the ready to help solve even the most difficult custom installation challenges.
It’s not uncommon for CertainTeed Architectural field specialists to visit job sites—often within a couple of days—to help installers spot unique project details or provide more immediate feedback on building plans and project specifications.
At CertainTeed Architectural, the focus doesn’t stop at products. The company considers how all its suspension systems solutions perform in the real world and offers the direct support to make sure every project is a success.
Tom Murray is director of product management for panels and suspension systems, CertainTeed Architectural.
