{"id":22887,"date":"2016-12-27T11:25:39","date_gmt":"2016-12-27T16:25:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.constructionspecifier.com\/?p=22887"},"modified":"2017-06-08T09:20:21","modified_gmt":"2017-06-08T13:20:21","slug":"more-hygienic-ceilings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.constructionspecifier.com\/more-hygienic-ceilings\/","title":{"rendered":"Hygienic Ceilings: Standards and guidelines"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"A
A decorative hygienic ceiling was used throughout this cupcake bakery to visually unify the food preparation and dining areas. <\/span>
Photo courtesy Ceilume<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

by Ed Davis, David Condello, Michael Chusid, RA, FCSI, CCS
\n<\/strong>The January 2017 issue of The Construction Specifier<\/em> included the authors’ in-depth look at the world of hygienic ceilings, \u201cHygienic Ceilings: Keeping it Clean Overhead.\u201d<\/a> In this complementing web feature, the authors examine various regulations and guidelines for constructing and maintaining ceilings in facilities with hygienic requirements.<\/p>\n

What’s in a word?
\n<\/strong>The n-gram graph below\u00a0traces the frequency of the word \u2018hygiene\u2019 in English-language books, offering insight into changing behavior. The word did not start trending until the second half of the 19th<\/sup> century, during the epoch when Pasteur and others developed the germ theory of disease. With the realization cleanliness reduces disease, the richly decorated surfaces of the Victorian Age began evolving into the less fussy styles of the Edwardian Age, and then the austerity of the Modernist architects.<\/p>\n

The decline in the term\u2019s use becomes pronounced shortly after 1928, when Fleming discovered penicillin. It is interesting to note the decline of references to hygiene occurs simultaneously with the growing interest in \u2018acoustical ceilings.\u2019 Prior to the advent of acoustical ceilings, most ceilings were relatively easily cleaned hard surfaces such as plaster, tin, or painted wood. Perhaps the miracles of modern medicine made it possible for people to overlook hygiene and use difficult-to-clean ceilings that potentially release fibers and support mold.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
An n-gram of hygiene.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Hospitals<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Facility Guidelines Institute\u2019s (FGI\u2019s) 2014 Guidelines for Design and Construction of Hospitals and Outpatient Facilities<\/em><\/a> covers the topic under 2.1-7.2.3.3\u2212Ceilings. In the locations listed below, ceilings must be cleanable with routine housekeeping equipment and not create ledges or crevices:<\/p>\n