01
On the rack
Sizes — 2×2, 2×4
Edges — square lay-in, tegular (SLT)
Lines — USG Radar Basic, USG Mars, gypsum lay-in for wet and clean spaces
StockedOther lines and specialty panels by order.
Ceilings · 1 of 4
Acoustical Ceiling Tile
The panel that goes in the grid. Stocked in the three lines that cover most of what gets built.
OUTWEST1995Five Colorado yards.
One outfit.
02
Square or tegular
Square-edge tile sits flat in the grid with the tee showing. Tegular has a stepped edge that drops the panel face below the grid — a more finished look, used with narrow 9/16" grid. They are not interchangeable: tegular in a 15/16" grid looks wrong and square-edge in a 9/16" grid does not sit right.
03
Reading the numbers
NRC is how much sound the panel absorbs — higher is quieter in the room. CAC is how much it blocks from going over a partition into the next room. An open office wants NRC. Anything with a wall that stops at the ceiling wants CAC. Most post-occupancy complaints are one of these specified wrong.
04
Manufacturers
USG · CertainTeed
Common questions
Ask the counter.
Can you match a tile in an existing ceiling?+
Usually. Flip one over and text us a photo — the part number is printed on the back.
What goes in a kitchen or clean room?+
Gypsum or vinyl-faced lay-in. Scrubbable, does not sag with humidity, and it is what the health inspector expects.
The branch makes the call