Ceilings in stores

As a kid I was always looking up at the ceilings in stores. I was always looking at how the ceiling tiles, HVAC diffusers, lighting, speakers and fire sprinklers differed between the stores.

Some of my favorites when I was really little were on main street. I remember one really old store, I don't recall what they sold, may have been a hardware store, had the old tin ceiling tiles.

Another store that I think was an art studio that my mother would take her art to had the old paper ceiling tiles in a staggered pattern.

Finally another store on main street was called Ben Franklin. I think they were sort of what was called a variety store. It also had the paper ceiling tiles and huge round HVAC diffusers that were silver.

The other store that really caught my eye was our Publix. It had a suspended ceiling with very old looking tiles with lines in them, old looking floursecent strip lighting and huge HVAC diffusers in silver with a big circle in the center of each. It was remodeled later on, and that too was interesting, because as the remodel was done, parts of the store gradually got a new suspended ceiling that was 2x2 tiles and new square vents. The new light fixtures were square and had an eggcrate like diffuser in a 3x3 pattern. They had torpedo looking bulbs in them but for some reason some of the fixtures just had plastic diffusers with 3 fluorescent tubes. It seemed the ones over the shelving were those type. They also replaced the speakers and sprinklers as they went.

But gradually they replaced the ceiling until just the last part still had the old ceiling and vents, and then it was all redone.


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Post# 372817 5/28/2017 at 14:13 (2,522 days old) by fan-of-fans (USA)
Checkrate/Likes As a kid I was always looking up at the ceilings in stores. I was always looking at how the ceiling tiles, HVAC diffusers, lighting, speakers and fire sprinklers differed between the stores. Some of my favorites when I was really little were on main street. I remember one really old store, I don't recall what they sold, may have been a hardware store, had the old tin ceiling tiles. Another store that I think was an art studio that my mother would take her art to had the old paper ceiling tiles in a staggered pattern. Finally another store on main street was called Ben Franklin. I think they were sort of what was called a variety store. It also had the paper ceiling tiles and huge round HVAC diffusers that were silver. The other store that really caught my eye was our Publix. It had a suspended ceiling with very old looking tiles with lines in them, old looking floursecent strip lighting and huge HVAC diffusers in silver with a big circle in the center of each. It was remodeled later on, and that too was interesting, because as the remodel was done, parts of the store gradually got a new suspended ceiling that was 2x2 tiles and new square vents. The new light fixtures were square and had an eggcrate like diffuser in a 3x3 pattern. They had torpedo looking bulbs in them but for some reason some of the fixtures just had plastic diffusers with 3 fluorescent tubes. It seemed the ones over the shelving were those type. They also replaced the speakers and sprinklers as they went. But gradually they replaced the ceiling until just the last part still had the old ceiling and vents, and then it was all redone.

Post# 372832 , Reply# 1 5/28/2017 at 15:49 (2,522 days old) by Real1shep (Walla Walla, WA)
Checkrate/Likes I bet if you search, someone has a coffee table book on this very topic. I remember Ben Franklin stores...they were a dimestore/variety type place. They were replaced in my area by Rexall Drugstores. Kevin

Post# 372856 , Reply# 2 5/29/2017 at 09:31 (2,521 days old) by fan-of-fans (USA)
Checkrate/Likes Ben Franklin is actually still around as independently run stores, but they went bankrupt in 1997. Promotions Unlimited managed them after that and handles their advertising now according to Wikipedia. I don't remember what happened to the store we used to go to, but it's been gone for at least 20 years. A coffee table book on the subject? Maybe. I'm sure there are plenty that remember these things. Those round HVAC diffusers are so iconic and really take me back. It's nice they have been turning up in more recent installations lately.

Post# 372861 , Reply# 3 5/29/2017 at 11:48 (2,521 days old) by countryford (Phoenix, AZ)
Checkrate/Likes My husband's uncle built quite a few buildings for Ben Franklin in the Washington, Oregon, and Idaho areas. He still owns some of them and has since sold off some too.