Can you clean acoustic tile after a fire?

6/21/2022 (Permalink)

Acoustic ceiling tiles are an incredibly common building material. Installed as a drop ceiling on a metal grid, these tiles can easily improve the look of a room while also softening ambient noise pollution.

Unfortunately, in an emergency situation, they’re also incredibly susceptible to damage. Here’s why.

Even in a day-to-day cleaning scenario, acoustic tile is very difficult to clean. These tiles are usually made out of fiberboard and PVC and are extremely porous. If you’ve ever moved one to access the true ceiling in a room, then you know how much dust and debris they can trap.

Even if you try to clean that dust up, you stand a good chance of either being ineffective or damaging the tile. Vacuuming can remove some dust, and some surface cleaning may be possible with a soft brush or even a dry sponge.

But what if the tile has been exposed to water damage, or smoke from a fire?

In most cases, we’ll advise you to throw it away. There may be no real way to restore its integrity and get it back to an acceptable level of clean, and even if there were, it probably isn’t cost-effective. 99% of the time, you’re better off replacing the damaged tile.