False Ceilings Explained, Plus Practical Considerations for Your Reno

Answering the most-asked questions about false ceilings and more.

These days, you’d be hard-pressed to find a home that doesn’t have a false ceiling. After all, they make our homes look clean and go a long way in elevating the interior theme – be it a sleek, modern one or an elegant French provincial interior.

Of course, choosing false ceilings for your renovation comes with a host of questions: will they lower the height of your ceiling? How much do they cost?

To answer all these and more, we spoke to Paisley, a senior interior designer at Posh Home, and Nivel, co-founder of Artspaze, to find out more!

What is a false ceiling?

Let’s start with the basics. As Nivel shared, you can think of a false ceiling as “an additional layer on the actual ceiling” that introduces flexibility for installing different fixtures like lights and CCTV placements, and for covering up anything unsightly.

These – as Paisley and Nivel highlighted – include things like wiring, trunking and cabling works.

“Because of HDB restrictions, you cannot conceal any electrical wiring, so false ceilings allow us to run them the proper way,” says Nivel.

Paisley also pointed out that most condos come with false ceilings for certain areas, like the kitchen, corridor and bathrooms.

There are also different designs and patterns that can be created on a false ceiling, depending on your preferences and the interior theme.

“If homeowners want a Victorian or French style, they could have a lot more detailing with design cornices. For modern looks, they could go with a flat ceiling with cove lighting,” says Paisley.

“Or, some homeowners who like a minimalist look opt for a double-lid false ceiling, which is a simple double-layered design.”

So, how is a false ceiling constructed and how long does it take?

According to Paisley, typically partition boards or calcium silicate boards are used to construct false ceilings, depending on which area they’re used for. The latter, for instance, is suitable for the bathroom and wet areas because it’s waterproof.

Depending on the size of the home/area of works and the complexity, a false ceiling could take anything between three days to a week to construct.

“If we’re speaking more technically, we first use a levelling machine to take measurements and ensure the surface is level. Then we’ll put up an aluminium structure, on which we’ll screw in all the partition boards. The last step is plastering to cover up all the gaps,” says Paisley.

Nivel added that the aluminium structure – which, in his practice, is a two feet by two feet grid – must be able to support and sustain the weight of the false ceiling.

You might recall the news of a 100kg false ceiling collapsing in a Queenstown flat, which both Nivel and Paisley both feel is due to a lack of sufficient support structure.

Here are tell-tale signs for a false ceiling that is not in good condition: “In the long run, you might find that there are big and long cracks on the false ceiling – these could be a cause for concern,” says Paisley.

“Of course, minor small cracks are normal because of things like heat from lights and high temperatures that create these fine lines.”

A common question is whether false ceilings lower the height of a home too much. Typically, a false ceiling is about 10 cm to 15cm – this is often to accommodate the lighting holders for the lighting fixtures you’ve chosen.

“Older HDBs sometimes come with 2.4m or 2.5m ceilings, which might lower the ceiling too much,” shared Paisley. “But most of the newer BTO flats have a 2.6m ceiling, so there is no noticeable ceiling drop.”

Of course, it’s best to consult with your ID/contractor to discuss what is best for your home.

The benefits of installing a false ceiling

Apart from concealing unsightly wiring and trunking, here are more benefits of installing a false ceiling that Paisley and Nivel underscored:

You can try out various false ceiling designs

Nivel and Paisley pointed out that curves, arches, bends, organic shapes and the like are still trending (which we called at the start of the year) – so it’s no wonder you can get a false ceiling that incorporates such unique designs.

With proper reinforcing, you can also install things like ceiling fans directly on the false ceiling.

You get better lighting options

With false ceilings, you also have more flexibility with lighting options, like sleek, recessed downlights and the soft glow of cove lights.

As Nivel shared, false ceilings also open up a wide range of smart lights.

You could better sound- and heat-proof your home

“There are instances whereby we install Rockwool insulation, which provides a form of noise and heat insulation,” says Nivel – a handy solution if you’ve got a neighbour upstairs who can be heard dragging chairs late into the night, or their kids who are always running about and throwing things.

Potential drawbacks of a false ceiling

The cost of constructing a false ceiling

Despite all these advantages, there are some cons for you to consider. Understandably, cost is the foremost concern.

Since the cost depends on the area of works and the type of false ceiling homeowners opt for, it is difficult for Nivel and Paisley to share a ballpark range.

Still, it’s worth noting that false ceilings can add a significant cost to your renovation. Besides complex designs that are labour-intensive (curves included), fixtures like curtain pelmets and those that require additional reinforcement – including suspended cabinets around the false ceiling area – also rack up the cost.

With more lighting options, you would also have additional lighting points within a room, which means you will be paying for another five to six more points instead of just a single lighting point.

May not be suitable for homes with already low ceiling heights

For those of you with ceilings that are about 2.4m-2.5m high, it would be ideal to discuss with your ID/contractor whether a false ceiling is suitable for your home, since it may not be advisable.

Of course, if you can accept such a height, it is still possible.

May not be suitable for homes with long-term leakage issues

Like the owners of this top floor resale unit in Bedok, if you’re renovating a flat that is known to have long-term leakage issues, a false ceiling would not be practical since you would not be able to identify when the leak happens.

In Nivel’s words, it would be like “putting a plaster on a broken leg”.

He shared that a potential workaround if you still want a false ceiling is to “consider repositioning” it with a structure like an L-box false ceiling, or to construct only a portion of the false ceiling.

On the other hand, you might encounter leaks after staying in the flat for a while. This is “most likely in the toilet area or wet areas,” says Paisley.

“That’s why we use calcium silicate boards there, since they’re waterproof. We can still investigate the leaking and solve the issue. It’s very easy to replace false ceilings since you can easily cut out the affected area and then patch it up with a new board.”

Alternatives to false ceilings

There might be situations where you can’t install a false ceiling for any of the above-mentioned reasons – or you just don’t like the idea of a false ceiling.

If you still want to get something other than what Nivel called “the boring hamburger lights” (the huge, round lights your parents probably had), Paisley suggested track lights.

For those of you who live in homes with really high ceilings (think about 4m and higher), she advised against installing false ceilings since they’re too high: practically, it would be difficult to replace spoiled bulbs.

Instead, get long pendant lights that you can still reach.

Discuss false ceilings and more with IDs

So, you know your home deserves a snazzy makeover with a false ceiling.

The next step: finding an interior designer who can advise you further on what suits your needs and your home. Simply tell us your renovation requirements, and we’ll link you up with interior design firms best suited for you!

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