In the case of ‘water stains,’ no form of cleaning or refinishing can be expected to last long if the source of water is unaddressed. Fixing leaks or remediating condensation should be the first step before any other options are tested.
Panel surfaces can also be physically damaged by impacts. Some frangible ceiling materials suffer edge and corner damage simply through routine handling. This can cause fibers to slough off, potentially causing skin and respiratory irritation.
Panel cleaning
Dusting or vacuuming will often remove loose or lightly adhered dust and dirt from ceiling materials. Vacuuming may be more effective on panels with crevices, as it can remove dust lodged below the surface. A major manufacturer of mineral fiber panels recommends vacuuming as a primary method, with a caution related to the textured surface of the product: “Care must be taken while vacuuming to avoid excessive pressure. Use a blotting action to minimize potential loss of surface texture.”
More severe grime and stains may require some sort of liquid cleaning agent. Washable products like metal or thermoformed vinyl panels can often be cleaned in place with a damp cloth or sponge. If necessary, they can be removed from the grid and washed with soap and water or other mild cleansers.
Most mineral fiber panels cannot be exposed to bulk liquids, including cleansers, without damage. Some types, however, have coatings or membranes that allow a greater degree of cleaning and stain resistance. Manufacturers suggest light wiping with a sponge or cloth dampened with mild detergent. Few mineral fiber products, however, can actually be washed. Many thermoformed and metal ceiling panels, in contrast, are comparatively stain resistant and robust and can be washed without damage.
In all cases, manufacturer’s instructions for the specific product should be consulted to determine what type and degree of cleaning is allowable. Manufacturers should also be asked for clarification of vague marketing terms, such as “cleanable” or “scrubbable,” made without reference to standards or quantifiable test results.
Professional cleaning services may have access to cleaning methods and materials that are unavailable to typical maintenance crews (See “Cleaning Services and Proprietary Methods”).
Panel refinishing
There are limitations on panel refinishing options pertaining to the ceiling’s performance requirements. Painting panels may alter the flame spread and smoke development properties of the ceiling and invalidate the results of product test data. Manufacturers of most types of ceiling panels say painting voids their warranties.
Mineral fiber panels often have surface crevices or fissures that are crucial to the panel’s acoustic control performance. If the perforations get filled with paint, noise reduction coefficients (NRC) drop significantly. A leading mineral fiber panel manufacturer offers recommendations for painting even though it voids the warranty. They include the caution, “the painter should be very careful that he does not close up the acoustical surfaces,” and say, “at minimum, repainting will result in a .05 to .10 reduction in NRC.” Repeated painting is likely to cause an even more precipitous drop in noise reduction.
Small, discreet stains on mineral fiber panels can be touched-up by spot-painting and have minimal impact on acoustics. There are paints in aerosol spray cans with upward-pointing nozzles available on the consumer market for precisely this application. The ability of these paints to suppress a specific stain, and to match the color of an existing panel, can only be determined by field testing.
