Any advice on ceiling tiles used in the home? (Tin look)
by
DeAnn C
+14
When we purchased our home 2 years ago, it has red & plaid wallpaper on the 12 foot ceiling in the kitchen, dining room and long entry hallway. Horrid. We've been researching our options for an improvement. We were thinking of the ceiling panels that are made of plastic/acrylic that have the appearance of an old tin ceiling. There are several options to install such as glue on, nail and snap together. If anyone has had any DIY experience in the installation and results we sure would like to hear about it. Thanks.
17 answers
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Wow--it might not be so bad if the ceiling were higher and the bordesr were...not.
Lori J
on Jul 01, 2013
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I probably would not start to rip it off, you could very well ruin your underneath tile , a good alternative is to maybe paint it with a flat paint that maybe coordinates with the walls maybe a shade darker. It may bubble a bit when wet but once it dries it will be flat. It is low cost , I have done this before and the end result is exceptional even if the paper has texture. Good luck!
Lisa@ Sweet Tea N' Salty Air
on Jul 01, 2013
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hello, I believe you could ask a professional wallpaper contractor to strip off wallpaper to reveal Sheetrock ceiling. After removal, use joint compound to make any repairs and then paint. This situation is not as bad as you think. Paper, Patch & Paint-Atlanta
Paper, Patch & Paint
on Jul 02, 2013
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No one appreciates the daunting task of wallpaper removal. As a professional, I cannot recommend painting or applying anything over wallpaper. The success of any treatment is adhesion and the durability is only as good as your weakest layer. Keep in mind that gravity is NOT your friend . . . especially on a ceiling! It may appear to be holding well now, but when you attempt to paint over it, the moisture from the paint will seep in between the seams and weaken the glue. As it dries, there is shrinkage which adds to the problem. It may not show up right away. In fact, it could be months down the road. Now you have a REAL mess! My recommendation is to have the paper removed before you add anything over it.
WallsTreat Studio/ Kass Wilson
on Jul 02, 2013
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specifically seeing advice regarding ceiling tiles. painting over it is not an option due to some loose spots in a small area. estimates to professionally remove have been very high which I understand because it is a big job.
DeAnn C
on Jul 02, 2013
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I have removed layers of wallpaper--and I mean layers! You can do this yourself. It is not fun, but it can be done. Get some advice from a reliable local hardware--you can use a brush on product or rent a steamer. It depends on the age of the wallpaper and the nature of the glue. Really old stuff comes off with vinegar.
Lori J
on Jul 02, 2013
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First of all, you have some excellent professional commentary above. That being said, we had a similar condition at my mom's house, although not in plaid (you're right, that's awful). She also wanted the tin tile look, did not want to bear the expense, duration, or filth associated with a proper removal and repair of the ceiling, and agreed to be my guinea pig. Her wallpaper was only a couple of years old and very strongly glued to the ceiling, so we used the "Decorative Gold Over Argent Silver" decorative thermoplastic ceiling panels by ACP (available through a design professional like me or through Home Depot) and took a chance against the delamination issue that Kass pointed out above. We used the direct glue application because she didn't have the height to use the grid and drop in method. It's been about 5 years now, she lives outside of Wilmington, NC, and they deal with fluctuating humidity levels. The product still looks phenomenal. She loves it, and they haven't experienced an problems. In your Dining Area, I recommend removing the crown moulding at the angled portion of the wall and treating it as the wall instead of the ceiling. That way, you have a continuous flat ceiling surface to treat....you'd never see the tin turn an angle like that in a traditional application. It'll also help accentuate the height of the ceiling instead of making the room feel shorter. For some additional unsolicited advice, I recommend keeping the wall color a light tone as it looks like there is limited natural light in the space. However, you can easily break it up and give it a richer look be changing the trim to a dark color; a warm dark grey would be stunning. Good luck wit it all. - HHH
Expressive Environments
on Jul 02, 2013
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You CAN paint over wallpaper, even if you have loose spots! They key, however, is that you must use an oil-based primer first. Wallpaper is hung with a water-based paste, so when people use water-based paint right on top of it, you get a water-to-water reaction that re-activates the paste and breaks the bond to the sub-surface. In a gravity-sensitive area, such as a ceiling, this would clearly be a problem. Using an oil-based primer negates the reaction and seals the new surface. You may get some bubbles and loose seams, but you cut those out and use dry wall mud to smooth everything out again. Then, top coat with a flat latex ceiling paint and you're good. You can top coat with oil if you prefer, but the cost, smell and drying time doubles if you do. You may also have to treat bad seams as cracks, with the mud, but still, by far, this is the cheapest and quickest method to fix the area. Good Luck!
Walden Enterprises
on Jul 02, 2013
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DeAnn, I have not installed the plastic ceiling tiles, bunt have installed real tin ceiling. I am presuming that they would be installed in a similar fashion. Ceiling tiles that get nailed up require either adding 1"x4" furring strips where the seams will overlap, or you can install 1/2" osb on the whole ceiling. Either way, it's necessary because you need a solid and flat surface to work with. Actually installing ceiling tile is not difficult. It would just require cutting the tile and nailing them up. Overlap the seams so the gap is not visible from the high traffic side of the room. Where it is trickier is that you need to extend the inner ring of the can lights down to the ceiling level, and also the HVAC register. The outer edge would need crown, trim, or cornice to cover it. Not that easy when you introduce the small angle at the exterior wall. While it seems pretty simple, it actually is a fair amount of work. Working overhead is also tiring. Have you also considered overlaying the entire ceiling with new drywall? If you are not tied to the ceiling tiles, I would suggest this is a good option vs. removing the wallpaper.
Hamtil Construction LLC
on Jul 02, 2013
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we have purchased REAL tin panels at great prices for ceilings and a backsplash in our house..why buy plastic when u can have the real tin? the customer service was excellent also..will definitely be buying more tin from this company...check it out American Tin Celings...http://www.americantinceilings.com/pattern/?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=+american%20+tin%20+ceilings&utm_content=5799442&utm_bidmatch=bb
Susan Gebhardt Tortella
on Jul 05, 2013
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Tin panels and edge coping works well. No need to remove the paper. However you should fasten sleepers 1x2 boards every 24 inches on center then nail not staple the panels in place. Nails is how it was installed during the time periods that this type of product was used. Staples work faster but brads are the correct method to use. I do not suggest you use plastic. While they look ok, if there was ever a fire in the house the fumes that the plastic gives off is really nasty and even if it was just a localized issue the black smoke given off will mess up the entire home.
Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com
on Jul 05, 2013
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Hi DeAnn, Check out www.ceilingtilesbyus.com. I am very familiar with these tiles and can say that they are a very affordable, easy DIY solution to your problem.You dont even have to remove this wallpaper, you can simply glue them over your existing surface.
Ceiling Tiles By Us
on Sep 14, 2013
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if you do decide to strip the paper off i once left a pan boiling while i fed my baby in another room and when i came back the pasta was overcooked and the paper on my ceiling was hanging down and one pull and it came off.
Felicity Woodruffe
on Jul 02, 2014
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you could use a camping stove and a saucepan of boiling water, as long as there are no children or pets in the house at the time, i suggest boiling the kettle first it takes forever on a camping stove
Felicity Woodruffe
on Jul 02, 2014
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We used the Armstrong foam-type faux tin ceiling tiles in both our kitchen and bathroom renovations. Easy install (since they're lightweight, you glue up with a few dabs of good contractors glue), then 2 coats of a good eggshell or semigloss paint and you're good to go! Its been 8 yers and ours still look phenomenal, like the real thing.
Jeanine M
on Jan 21, 2015
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rip it off
Susan
on Jan 22, 2015
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I see that this post is from a while back but just thought it may be worth mentioning that Ceiling Tiles By Us carries these products faux antique tin/metal ceiling tiles in PVC material as well as Styrofoam paintable material. They really do make a wonderful difference on a tight budget and are very easy to DIY install yourself. Attaching a link and some photos http://www.ceilingtilesbyus.com/store/
Ceiling Tiles By Us
on Mar 04, 2015
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