According to DIN EN 13964, the surface of a suspended ceiling visible on the room side, with the possible exception of visible parts of the substructure, is referred to as the top layer. The individual elements of the top layer of elemental suspended ceilings, the top layer components, are divided as follows:
Vertical panels are also known as slats . In addition, there are other special forms of top layers, e.g. honeycomb and gratings. Visible parts of the substructure, e.g. the soffits of load-bearing profiles, do not count as cover layer components.
Depending on the use, the surface of the top layer components can be either smooth or perforated, e.g. perforated or made of expanded metal. Depending on the system, the individual top layer components are either jointed tightly or designed with joints, which then either remain open or are closed with filling profiles. In some systems, e.g. inlay suspended ceilings, the underside of the support profiles between the top layer components remains fully or partially visible.
Thick-walled top layers, e.g. made of wood-based materials or minerals, are distinguished from thin-walled top layers, e.g. made of folded sheet metal.
Source: bauwion
