Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/755184
DECEMBER 2016 | 23 PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY CERTAINTEED; SOUND SOLUTIONS Walls & Ceilings Welcome to a new generation of hyper-e•cient, ultra-e•ective wall and ceiling options by STACEY MCLACHLAN In Suspense T he walls and ceilings of a space define more than just its parameters; the design, materials and assembly technique of these essential elements can make or break a room. But thanks to a litany of high-tech products and a thoughtful consideration of acoustics, architects and builders have access to some incredible tools for making any project a wall-to-wall success. "Lightening the load for contractors and homeowners who work with drywall has been a focus for our company," says Christian Dutil, product marketing manager at CGC Inc. And the company's line of new lightweight products does just that. The Sheetrock UltraLight gypsum panel, for one, makes use of UltraLight technology, developed over a decade of research. CGC is also the first and only drywall manufac- turer in Canada with lightweight 5/8-inch Type X fire-rated gypsum panels, which weigh in at 22 percent lighter than standard products. These developments have been game-changers, says Dutil: "Nobody wants to go back to heavier products." CertainTeed's Habito drywall is another option – just half-an-inch thick but uti- lizing a high-density gypsum formulation to provide unmatched performance com- bining the benefits of old-fashioned plaster and modern drywall. "Habito's fixing capabilities eliminate the need for threaded drywall anchors or nailing to wall studs for fixtures under 30 pounds," says Tom Prokop, innovation and product manager for CertainTeed Gypsum. The company also offers a robust line of corner products, including pre-cut lightweight laminated corner sticks. C O N C R E T E R E A S O N I N G Although traditionally f lat panels of extruded glass-fibre-reinforced con- crete was made on a steel mould and cut to size, recent developments in pro- duction methods have made some big changes for the industry. "What we've being doing recently is taking the con- crete off wet production and putting it in a mould and folding it up," says Andrew Rogers, principal at Sound Solutions. "The result is 3D FiberC Formparts, a half-inch thick, ultra-thin, ultra-light 3D 'U', 'L' or curved element. Recently we used this method for some large curtain wall fins for a project at Boston University." In the past, concrete was simply too heavy to put on a curtain wall, but these Formparts change that. "It's good timing," says Rogers. "I think the A&B community was getting tired of aluminum and is looking for something new and more natural." This marks an overall move towards more natural-looking, lightweight fin- ishes inside and out. Though mainly used for exterior applications, this concrete finish can be used for interiors as well, for column covers, soffit transitions, and other options. Movable wall partitions also continue to be popular, particularly for office spaces. "Even though people want their own space, they want flexibility, too," says Ron Kent, Envirowall sales manager. Envirowall's aluminum frame system allows for glass panels, which help balance the desire for privacy with an open-concept feel – all while allowing light to flow from the outside in. It's customizable, too; helpful at a time when people are all looking for a one-of-a-kind solution or look. "Architects want to put an emphasis on the glazing and to minimize the mullions, or to feature thicker glass," explains Kent. There's also an environmentally-friendly angle to these flexible walls. "Modular walls can be reused and reused and reused," notes Sandy Park, regional manager for Vibra-Sonic Control. "But with drywall, every time you want to change, you're taking something to the landfill." S O U N D O F F Increasingly, designers aren't just concerned with how a space looks; how it sounds can matter just as much. "Acoustic per- formance is being linked to better employee performance in offices, better outcomes in hospitals and better test scores in schools," says Robert Marshall, senior technical manager for CertainTeed Ceilings. Marshall points to CertainTeed Ceilings' Sereno Fine Fissured High NRC/CAC as a robust addition to the line of acoustic ceilings for commercial spaces. It allows for cleaner cutting and faster installation, and provides superior performance in both workability and acoustics. It's such an important factor to today's builders that CertainTeed even has a Listening Lounge – a virtual demonstra- tion space at its Pennsylvania headquarters – to allow architects Gyptone Big Curve gypsum panels from CertainTeed. Sound Solutions' 3D FiberC Formparts curtain wall fins at Boston University.