Tin ceilings give detail and texture to a space that can be bland.
Tin ceilings evoke a sense of a time gone by. With their textured surface, they lend a sense of sophistication to an area that is too often dull and featureless. New "tin" ceiling tiles are actually made of aluminum to resist rust and corrosion. They are lightweight and easy to work with. You will need to do the proper prep work to ensure a proper installation. Take the time to get it right for a ceiling you can be proud of.
Instructions
1. Apply a coat of spray primer to all tiles. Allow it to dry, then paint the semigloss latex paint. Apply a base color to the entire tile with a soft bristle brush. Apply the paint as evenly as possible to prevent runs and drips. Allow the base color to dry. Use an artist's brush to apply semigloss latex colors to areas of the pattern that you want to stand out, or leave the tiles one color. Apply the same colors and patterns to each tile. Allow the paint to dry thoroughly.
2. Use a chalk line to mark diagonal lines across the ceiling from corner to corner to locate the center of the ceiling. The center is where the pattern of your tiles will begin. Locate the ceiling joists with a stud finder along the walls perpendicular to them at both ends of the room. Use the chalk line to snap a line along each joist to mark its position.
3. Cut 1-by-4-inch lumber to fit across the ceiling, wall-to-wall, perpendicular to the joist lines, one for every 12 inches. Nail the 1-by-4 furring strips to the ceiling, fastening the strips with a 3-inch drywall screw into each joist. Install one furring strip every 12 inches across the room, starting from the center of the room.
4. Start at the center of the room and install the four center tiles, Nail them in place with finishing nails, following the nailing pattern in the instructions that came with your tiles. You will need at least three nails along each edge. Position your nails to drive into the 1-by-4 furring strips for a firm attachment. Use a nail set to finish driving each nail, so that it presses up on the tile firmly, without denting it.
5. Overlap the tiles slightly, nailing each tile in place with its edges square to the tiles around it. Work out from the center of the ceiling adding tiles in rows across the ceiling, using the furring strips as guides. Cut tiles with tin snips to fit at the walls, and nail them in place. Add full-width rows of tiles across the ceiling to both end walls. Measure the wall, and cut enough tiles with tin snip to width to fill the last row up to the walls. Nail these tiles in place.
6. Measure and cut "tin" crown molding to fit around the edges of the room, beveling the corners at 45 degrees. Nail the crown around the room at the top of the wall to cover the gap along the edges of the ceiling tiles. Nail into the ceiling and into the wall to anchor the crown in place. Leave a 1/2-inch gap between pieces at the corner and at joints along the walls. Fit joint and corner trim over these gaps. Fit the trim onto the edges of the ends of the pieces, fitting the edges into the open slots along the edges of the trim pieces.
7. Paint over any visible nail heads with the artist's brush and the color that corresponds to the immediately surrounding area.
Tags: across ceiling, furring strips, tiles with, 1-by-4 furring, 1-by-4 furring strips