Metal Ceilings: Tiles, Baffle, Open Cell and Strip Systems

Jawdah Industrial Co. Ltd. manufactures four families of metal ceiling for commercial, institutional and industrial interiors in Saudi Arabia: modular metal ceiling tiles, aluminum baffle ceilings, aluminum open cell ceilings and aluminum strip ceilings. Each family has its own suspension logic, its own sizes and its own visual result, so the first decision on a project is which family fits the space, not which colour to choose.

This page is the selection hub. It explains how the families differ, which materials and standards apply to each, and which suspension system carries them. Detailed specification tables live on the individual product pages linked below.

A metal ceiling is a secondary ceiling built from thin, coated metal elements that hang from the main structure on rods and carriers. The void above stays free for ductwork, cabling, sprinkler pipes and lighting, and the metal elements can be removed to reach those services. Compared with a continuous plastered ceiling, a metal ceiling is modular: it is assembled from factory-finished parts and taken apart again without cutting.

Metal is chosen where a ceiling must stay dimensionally stable in humid conditions, tolerate regular cleaning, and keep a consistent factory finish over large areas. The trade-off is that the system has to be planned around module sizes, suspension spacing and service openings before installation starts, because the components are produced to set sizes.

The Jawdah range covers ten metal tile products, one baffle system, two open cell configurations and three strip profiles. Tiles are produced in aluminum alloys 3005, 3105 and 1100, in galvanized steel complying with ASTM A653M, and in stainless steel grades 201 and 304. Tile thickness runs from 0.4 mm up to 1.0 mm, with other thicknesses available on request.

Aluminum products are offered in five standard colours for tiles, with up to 110 colours depending on quantity and client request. Galvanized steel tiles are white as standard and can be produced in any RAL colour on request. Stainless steel tiles have a matte finish. Each system is supplied with its matching suspension components and hanging accessories.

• Metal ceiling tiles: lay-in (exposed T15/T24 grid) and clip-in (concealed), plain or perforated.
• Aluminum baffle ceiling: U-panel in 40x10 mm or 50x10 mm, panel length 2400 mm, on a V-carrier.
• Aluminum open cell ceiling: lay-on tiles 600x600 mm or continuous ceilings, cells 50x50, 75x75 or 100x100 mm.
• Aluminum strip ceilings: C-type (84C/184C), R-type (84R/134R) and V-type (150V/200V).

The families differ first in what you see from below. Tiles produce a closed, flat ceiling divided into modules. Baffles and open cell grids leave the void partly visible, which makes the ceiling read as a layer of lines or cells rather than a surface. Strip ceilings produce a closed or near-closed plane of long parallel lines.

They also differ in how the ceiling is opened for maintenance. Lay-in tiles lift out of the grid by hand; clip-in tiles are demountable from a concealed carrier; open cell lay-on tiles sit on a T-grid; strips are released from their carriers one by one.

Aluminum is used across all four families. It is light, does not rust, and carries a pre-painted polyester coating according to EN 1396, so the colour range is wide. Galvanized steel is offered for tiles only; it is a heavier, stiffer substrate protected by its zinc layer and a powder or pre-painted coating. Stainless steel is offered for plain tiles where hygiene and corrosion resistance come first, such as kitchens and food areas.

Each material has its own test references, and they must not be mixed. Aluminum raw material is stated as Class 0 as per BS 476 Part 7-1987. Galvanized steel raw material is stated under fire propagation as per BS 476 Part 6 – 1989 and Surface Flame Spread Class 1 as per BS 476 Part 7 – 1997. For stainless steel the master data lists fire, moisture and corrosion resistance of the raw material without a class.

Plain metal tiles suit corridors, retail units, back-of-house areas, computer rooms and wet rooms where a flat, washable surface and quick access matter. Perforated tiles move into offices, meeting rooms, hospitals, schools and airports where reverberation must be controlled. Stainless steel tiles are named for kitchens, bathrooms, hospitals, laboratories and the food and beverage industry.

Baffle and open cell ceilings are used in malls, supermarkets, halls, shops, offices, airports and exhibition centres, where a high or busy volume needs visual structure without closing the ceiling. Strip ceilings add bathrooms, kitchens, wet areas and outdoor bottom covering such as canopy soffits to that list, because the linear panels shed moisture and are easy to wipe.

Every fire, humidity and reflectance value in the Jawdah metal ceiling data is stated for the raw material, not for an installed ceiling assembly. Aluminum products reference humidity resistance according to ASTM D 2247 and light reflectance more than 0.75 according to ASTM E 1477-98 for tiles, baffles and open cell, while strip ceilings state light reflectance more than 0.8 according to ASTM E 1477-98 and humidity resistance up to 1000 HRS according to ASTM D 2247.

Galvanized steel tiles state humidity resistance up to 1000 HRS according to EN ISO 6270-2. When a project specification asks for a system-level fire performance, that requirement has to be checked against the project's own design and test documents; the raw-material classes on this page do not replace it.

Each family has a dedicated carrier, which is why a ceiling family cannot simply be swapped late in design. Lay-in tiles and open cell lay-on tiles rest on the exposed T-grid system in T-24 or T-15. Clip-in tiles clip onto the concealed Clip-In suspension system. Strips snap onto C, R or V carriers from the strip ceiling suspension range, and baffles hang from a V-carrier with 25 mm punch spacing.

Fix the ceiling family against the reflected ceiling plan before services are coordinated. Light fittings, diffusers, sprinkler heads and access points must land inside a tile module, between baffles or within a strip pattern, and each family gives a different set of positions. Changing family after services are set out usually means re-cutting the layout.

Decide where acoustic absorption is needed and specify perforated tiles or perforated strips only in those zones. Agree the colour route early as well: the five standard aluminum tile colours and white galvanized steel are the simplest path, while special colours depend on quantity.

• Module or strip direction relative to the longest room axis.
• Exposed grid versus concealed ceiling plane.
• Plain or perforated face, and the zones for each.
• Humidity, hygiene and cleaning regime of the room.
• Service access frequency and positions.

The most frequent mistake is treating all metal ceilings as interchangeable and specifying a tile size with the wrong carrier, for example a clip-in tile on an exposed T-grid. The second is quoting a fire class from one material on a ceiling made of another, such as writing the aluminum Class 0 reference against galvanized steel tiles. The third is assuming that perforation alone gives a known sound absorption figure; the absorption depends on perforation, backing and ceiling void, and the master data does not give an NRC for metal products.

• Mixing a lay-in tile with a concealed carrier, or the reverse.
• Applying aluminum test references to steel products.
• Specifying perforated ceilings everywhere instead of where acoustics matter.
• Leaving service positions until after the ceiling family is fixed.
• Ordering special colours without allowing for quantity.

Metal ceilings are listed as easy to clean, and the coated or stainless surfaces can be wiped with mild, non-abrasive cleaners suited to the coating. Perforated elements with acoustic tissue on the back should be cleaned from the face only so that the backing stays dry and intact. When a tile, strip or baffle is removed for maintenance, it should be refitted onto the same carrier position so that lines and joints stay true.

If the brief is a calm, closed ceiling with frequent access, start with metal ceiling tiles, then choose lay-in for exposed grid or clip-in for a flush plane. If the brief asks for depth, rhythm or a semi-open soffit in a large hall, compare the aluminum baffle ceiling with the open cell ceiling. If the space is long and linear, or the ceiling extends to a covered outdoor soffit, look at aluminum strip ceilings.

Jawdah produces the ceiling elements and the matching suspension systems and hanging accessories, so tiles, carriers and grid come from one supplier and are specified together. Technical documents named in the Jawdah data, including the Metal Ceiling System Catalogue and the Technical Data Sheet for each product, are available on request from the Jawdah team, and installation manuals and tests are available in hard copy.

• Jawdah Industrial Co. Ltd. manufactures metal ceiling tiles, aluminum baffle ceilings, aluminum open cell ceilings and aluminum strip ceilings.
• Jawdah metal ceiling tiles are produced in aluminum, galvanized steel and stainless steel, in lay-in and clip-in versions.
• Jawdah tile thickness ranges from 0.4 mm up to 1.0 mm, with other thicknesses available on request.
• Jawdah aluminum ceiling raw material is stated as Class 0 as per BS 476 Part 7-1987.
• Jawdah galvanized steel tiles comply with ASTM A653M and state humidity resistance up to 1000 HRS according to EN ISO 6270-2 (raw material).
• Jawdah stainless steel ceiling tiles are made in grades 201 and 304 with a matte finish.
• Jawdah strip ceilings are offered as C-type 84C/184C, R-type 84R/134R and V-type 150V/200V.
• Jawdah open cell ceilings are offered with cell sizes of 50x50, 75x75 and 100x100 mm.

• Ceiling family: tiles, baffle, open cell or strip
• Material: aluminum, galvanized steel or stainless steel
• Installation type: lay-in, clip-in, lay-on, carrier-mounted
• Face: plain or perforated, with acoustic zones marked
• Module or profile size and thickness
• Colour: standard, RAL or special colour, with quantity
• Suspension system and accessories required
• Ceiling area per zone and total quantity
• Reflected ceiling plan with services positions
• Project location and delivery site in Saudi Arabia

• Metal Ceiling Tiles
• Metal Baffle Ceiling
• Open Cell Ceiling
• Strip & Mesh Ceilings
• Suspension Systems & Accessories
• Ceiling Tiles (gypsum, GRG, mineral)
• Ceilings