Retail Store Ceiling Installation — Roseville

The Problem

A national retail chain was renovating their Roseville location near the Galleria. The existing ceiling was 15 years old — standard mineral fiber tile that was stained, sagging in spots, and didn't match the brand's updated design standards. Corporate had rolled out a new store prototype that used metal ceilings in the entrance and feature areas with upgraded acoustical tile throughout the sales floor. The Roseville store needed to match.

The catch: the store couldn't close. Retail renovation during business hours was out of the question — dust, debris, and scaffolding in a space with customers isn't safe and doesn't work. All work had to happen overnight, after close, with the store opening clean and operational every morning at 10 AM.

Our Approach

We planned 12 overnight shifts, 10 PM to 7 AM, with two hours of buffer for cleanup before the morning crew arrived. The store was divided into zones — work moved from the back of the store toward the front entrance, so the newest and most visible areas were completed last. Merchandise fixtures stayed in place and were covered with protective sheeting. Our crews rolled the sheeting back each morning and the store opened as if nothing happened.

Products Used

Sales Floor (9,500 SF): Armstrong Ultima tegular panels on new 9/16" narrow-face grid. NRC 0.70, clean white finish, high light reflectance. The narrow grid gives a more modern look than the old 15/16" profile. New LED troffers integrated into the grid — the electrician worked alongside us installing fixtures as each section of grid went in.

Entrance & Feature Areas (2,500 SF): Armstrong MetalWorks snap-in panels in a brushed aluminum finish. These panels create a distinct visual zone at the store entrance and wrap around the checkout area. Micro-perforated for acoustic performance — NRC 0.65 with fleece backing. The metal panels are the first thing customers see when they walk in, and they set the tone for the whole store.

Back of House: Standard 2×4 mineral fiber tile on the existing grid. The stockroom and office areas got functional replacement tiles — no need for premium product back there.

Challenges

Overnight work sounds straightforward until you factor in the logistics. Material delivery had to happen before the store opened or after it closed — no 18-wheelers blocking the loading dock during business hours. We staged materials in the stockroom over two pre-work nights, palletizing and organizing by zone so the installation crew could grab what they needed without searching.

The metal ceiling panels in the entrance area required precise layout to align with the storefront glass line and the checkout counter. Corporate's design team provided a reflected ceiling plan with exact dimensions, and our crew leader laid it out with a laser before cutting a single piece of grid. Metal ceiling mistakes are expensive — you can't just flip a tile over like you can with mineral fiber.

Dust control was critical. The store had merchandise on shelves — clothing, accessories, and packaged goods. We couldn't let ceiling dust settle on product. We used plastic sheeting over fixtures and ran negative air machines to capture dust at the source during demo of the old ceiling.

Seismic bracing on the new grid had to be inspected. We got the building inspector to come at 6 AM during the last week — not a typical inspection time, but the jurisdiction worked with us because the alternative was shutting the store down for a day.

Results

Twelve nights, zero store closures, zero merchandise damage. The store manager said the morning crews couldn't believe how much progress happened overnight — sections that were old tile at close were completely new by opening. Corporate's design team signed off on the installation, noting that the metal-to-tile transition at the entrance met their prototype standards exactly.

The new ceiling improved the in-store experience. Higher light reflectance from the Ultima tiles meant the store could reduce the number of fixtures while maintaining the same foot-candle levels — energy savings the facilities team appreciated. The metal entrance panels gave the Roseville store the same premium feel as the brand's newest locations.

Key Takeaways

• Retail ceiling projects often require overnight work — plan for it in the schedule and budget
• Metal ceilings in entrance zones create a premium first impression
• Dust control and merchandise protection are non-negotiable in retail renovation
• Pre-staging materials eliminates wasted time during short work windows
• Coordinate early with building inspectors for non-standard inspection times