Armstrong Ceiling Solutions have launched an online tool that helps specifiers find the right ceiling product for the right room.

The tool helps architects and specifiers by drilling down what mineral ceiling systems are best for individual rooms and spaces.

Available through the applications section on their website, the tool gives interactive advice for all the sectors Armstrong operates in – office/commercial, retail, education, healthcare, hospitality and leisure, and transportation.

It also details the challenges and solutions in general for ceiling specification in each room or space and lists the relevant products for the increasingly important factor of occupant wellbeing, whether it be a new-build or refurbishment project.

The selector tool advises on spaces such as lobby/reception areas, conference rooms, corridors, cafés, private offices and open office/collaboration areas, all of which have unique requirements.

The challenge for office spaces is that often employees cite the intrusion of unwanted noise as a leading factor in workplace dissatisfaction.

This unwanted noise typically relates to “speech privacy” in which employees overhear loud, unwanted conversations from other people sharing the same environment. This can then lead to reduced effectiveness and increased stress levels.

It advises that ceiling tiles with balanced acoustics, offering the ideal combination of sound absorption and sound blocking, provide the right balance, even when employees are concentrating one minute and collaborating the next.

And some of the products recommended are the showcase mineral tiles Optima OP, Sierra OP, Perla 1.00 and 0.95 and Ultima+, as well as Axiom canopies which can add personality to a space as well as acoustic control.