• Welcome to the new and improved Building Code Forum. We appreciate you being here and hope that you are getting the information that you need concerning all codes of the building trades. This is a free forum to the public due to the generosity of the Sawhorses, Corporate Supporters and Supporters who have upgraded their accounts. If you would like to have improved access to the forum please upgrade to Sawhorse by first logging in then clicking here: Upgrades

Insulation Over Ceiling Tiles

north star

north star

Sawhorse
Joined
Oct 19, 2009
Messages
4,596
> ? > ? > ?

I see a lot of construction plans with thermal and \ or
acoustical insulation installed \ laid on top of the ceiling tiles.
I seem to recall that this was not an approved type of installation.

Q1) Is installing thermal or even acoustical insulation on top of
ceiling tiles permitted ?.........If not, please provide the Code section
or sections disallowing this.........FWIW, ...there is no electrical wiring
on top of the ceiling tiles either.

Thank you ! :cool:

< ? < ? < ?
 
I would question whether or not the acoustical ceiling could support it....Manufacturers installation instructions.

[A] 104.9 Approved materials and equipment. Materials,
equipment and devices approved by the building official shall
be constructed and installed in accordance with such
approval.
 
C402.2.2 Roof assembly. The minimum thermal resistance
(R-value) of the insulating material installed either
between the roof framing or continuously on the roof
assembly shall be as specified in Table C402.1.3, based on
construction materials used in the roof assembly. Skylight
curbs shall be insulated to the level of roofs with insulation
entirely above deck or R-5, whichever is less.
Exceptions:
1. Continuously insulated roof assemblies where the
thickness of insulation varies 1 inch (25 mm) or
less and where the area-weighted U-factor is
equivalent to the same assembly with the R-value
specified in Table C402.1.3.
2. Where tapered insulation is used with insulation
entirely above deck, the R-value where the insulation
thickness varies 1 inch (25 mm) or less
from the minimum thickness of tapered insulation
shall comply with the R-value specified in
Table C402.1.3.
3. Unit skylight curbs included as a component of a
skylight listed and labeled in accordance with
NFRC 100 shall not be required to be insulated.
Insulation installed on a suspended ceiling with removable ceiling tiles shall not be considered part of the minimum thermal resistance of the roof insulation.
 
2012 IEEC
C402.2.1 Roof assembly.
Insulation installed on a suspended ceiling with removable ceiling tiles shall not be considered part of the minimum thermal resistance of the roof insulation.

Installing thermal insulation on removable ceiling tiles does not help with meeting the energy
I could not find a prohibition of using sound insulation on removable ceiling tiles
 
I have checked the manufacturers instructions on a job and it did not say if it is allowed or not allowed. They were installing insulation just for sound proofing in the suspended ceiling.

The NEC Handbook commentary 300.4(C) says cables are not to be laid on suspended ceilings because it would inhibit access but there is noting about anything else that could inhibit access.
 
It must be approved by the manufacture of the ceiling system. Generally if insulation is going to be installed on top of the tiles and grid system, the tiles and grid system have to be specified to support the additional weight.
 
north star,
One thing to check is if there are troffers or other types of lighting, the troffer light fixture has to have the IC marking for Insulation Contact.

Also the ROMEX KING can't install ROMEX above the grid system in commercial but he can on his residential jobs!
 
this is a common practice with open office buildings and is done for acoustics. use unfaced batts. what we've done is run the ceiling grid continuous across a space. at offices, rather than run the walls up to the deck, you use modular walls (Dirtt) and only run them to the ceiling and add acoustic insulation over the ceiling tiles. these spaces get remodeled every 5 - 10 years, so this allows a lot of flexibility. it's not my favorite practice but i understand it.
 
steveray said:
I would question whether or not the acoustical ceiling could support it....Manufacturers installation instructions.

[A] 104.9 Approved materials and equipment. Materials,
equipment and devices approved by the building official shall
be constructed and installed in accordance with such
approval.
Click to expand...
Depending on Climate Zone, does not good building science say the Air/ Vapor and Thermal Barrier need to be maintained? I don't think much of the Acoustical ceiling being very effective on the air or vapor part of that statement
So even if the Code Doesn't dis-allow it, I suspect that Best Practices would not look kindly on installing this as described
 
Genduct said:
Depending on Climate Zone, does not good building science say the Air/ Vapor and Thermal Barrier need to be maintained? I don't think much of the Acoustical ceiling being very effective on the air or vapor part of that statement
So even if the Code Doesn't dis-allow it, I suspect that Best Practices would not look kindly on installing this as described
Click to expand...
in heating climates.
 
Probably. Block walls and foam insulation. That was Joe Lstibruk's solution at a conference he was speaking at. I was thinking about OP, and don't know where in the world he is.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top