Techstyle Acoustical Ceilings And Educational Institutions - A Perfect Match (release)
15 December, 2003

There is no better investment than education and Techstyle Acoustical Ceilings from Hunter Douglas offer a way to make this investment that much more enriching. Techstyle Ceilings provide superior acoustical properties, which can greatly benefit educational institutions at every level. The ceilings also promote positive indoor air quality (IAQ) and have the much-sought-after monolithic look of drywall.

"Techstyle panels have a honeycomb structure that provides unparalleled acoustical properties because they are consistently absorptive at high and low frequencies," explains Dilip Joglekar, Vice President and General Manager of Hunter Douglas Architectural Products. This unusual graph is unlike any other ceiling on the market. Most ceilings are absorptive at high frequencies only. This technology provides Techstyle panels with an overall Sound Absorption Average (SAA) of 0.89 and a Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC) of 0.85. These vastly improved acoustics help to reduce distracting background noises in classrooms, libraries, band and music rooms, performing arts spaces, lobbies, hallways and cafeterias - aiding students in their educational pursuits.

In fact, many new schools that are being built must now use building materials that are far more sound absorptive than those used previously. These materials must be compliant with recent chages to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) so that children who are hearing impaired or suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) can benefit from the improved levels of concentration these sound-absorptive material afford them. Since Techstyle panels have a high acoustical rating, this makes them a favorabel building product to use, also allowing architects to specify less absorptive and therefore less costly materials elsewhere.

Additionally, Techstyle ceilings do not emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and as a result benefit IAQ (Indoor Air Quality). In fact, Techstyle panels now officially qualify as a Low Emitting Material as certified by the State of California. The ceiling panels were recently tested by the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS), which requires a VOC test, and they passed. The ceilings are made from inorganic materials and are thus resistant to fungi growth, which is good news for students and teachers, especially those who suffer from asthma and allergies. Techstyle ceiling panels contain recycled content as well.

Hunter Douglas Inc., the manufacturer of Techstyle ceilings, is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council, the nation's foremost coalition of leaders from across the building industry working to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work.

Techstyle ceilings' innovative design and lightweight compressible composite construction allow the panels to span up to 16 square feet without sagging and to absorb the force of normal impact and bounce back, making in the perfect ceilings for school auditoriums, as well as the numerous school hallways and classrooms. In fact, the panels' large format and narrow 1/4" reveal create the monolithic appearance of drywall and can be easily installed in a 15/16" commercial T-grid. Another plus is the ceiling's attractive and easy-to clean, ultra-white and smooth textile surface.

The easy-to-use clip / hinge system that attaches Techstyle panels to the grid provide downward accessibility. Access the plenum is a snap because panels swing down on the hinge and stay safely in place - another appealing attribute for schools and libraries. Retrofit applications are also possible. The panels can accommodate standard sprinklers and light fixtures and may be field-cut into any shape with a sharp utility knife.