Uses For Ceiling Tile

Ceilings are utilitarian, but they also can be decorative. New materials and techniques are reviving interest in ceiling decoration, using tiles. Decorative ceilings were popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s, mainly using exotic plaster techniques or "tin" tiles, steel sheets with a covering of tin. Those went out of fashion, mainly because of labor costs, but today those styles can be replicated economically with tiles.

Fibrous Tiles

The most common ceiling tiles are fibrous, made of wood or other fibers tightly compressed with a binder into a semi-rigid panel. These come in sizes from 12 by 12 inches up. You can install them in "drop" ceilings, suspend them in a metal grid hung from the ceiling, or glue them to a smooth ceiling. Some are finished for acoustical or sound-dampening purposes. They are available in a variety of surfaces, to resemble plaster or other finishes.

Tin Tiles Are Back

Old "tin" tiles are back in fashion. These are thin steel plates with a tin coating, and they come embossed in various patterns. They are fastened with adhesives. These tin tiles are an effective fire retardant and also are suitable in areas of high humidity, such as bathrooms and kitchens. Today's versions are finished with a powder-coated surface that is attractive, durable and long-lasting.

Fake the Tin

Alternatives to real tin tiles are versions made of aluminum or vinyl. Both are embossed and finished so they are virtually indistinguishable from the real thing. Both materials come in the same large squares typical of the original tin ceiling tiles. You install them with adhesives. They are available in various hues, from the old tin color, to bronzes and coppers.

Exotic Styles

You can vary ceiling tiles with paint and light. You can paint most fibrous panels, although this is not recommended with acoustic ceilings. Some aluminum tiles come prepared for paint; you can finish them in a solid color or paint them with patterns or designs, some replicating sky and clouds or trees. Vary suspended tiles with light panels using fluorescent or light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs; some manufacturers offer versions with tiny LEDs embedded in them to give a sort of starry sky effect.

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