Tin Ceilings: Tin ceiling panels: Low maintenance elegance for homes, offices, stores
The Old House Web
Tin ceilings, common in American stores of the 1890s, are making a comeback -- at least according to Brian Greer, Canadian tinsmith and purveyor of tin panels for ceilings and walls.Greer sells 24 different panels for home or commercial use in bright tin, or plated in copper, brass, chrome and pewter in bright to antique finishes. Panels vary in dimensions, but the most common and easiest to install are 2' x 2'. Patterns range from simple hammered tin to elaborate patterns based on antique plaster.
Panels can be left in their natural bright tin state with a coat of clear polyurethane, painted or faux finished.
Paint the panels with a brush, roller or spray gun, using metal or oil-based paint.
Greer's company also sells filler, molding and cornices. Molding and cornices are 48" long and have safety hems. Filler pieces are used as a border around the edges of the room to accentuate the central pattern, or to avoid having to cut into the design.
Greer says the panels are easy to install by nailing, screwing, stapling or by placing them in a T-bar. His web site contains many installation tips and configuration suggestions.
Tools needed for installation include a chalk line, hammer, tin snips, drill and gloves. Pick out a pattern, draw a scaled layout on paper including molding, cornice and filler before installation.
Greer says the panels are superior to plasterboard or other suspended ceilings because of their architectural interest, versatility, and ease of maintenance and installation.
The restoration of tin panels, and the interest and nostalgia they have generated has led to a revival in their use in the U.S. and Canada, says Greer. Besides being used in restoration projections, tin ceilings are back in style, with new uses and a wider selection of creative designs.
One of the most striking and beautiful effects is achieved by "pattern painting" or faux painting the panels. The effect is created by picking out the details in the panel's pattern in different colors.
Panel prices start at $2.50 U.S. dollars per square foot ($3.95 Canadian) plus packaging and shipping. Greer will quote jobs on the total amount of material needed included packaging and shipping door to door.
Learn More About Brian Greer's Tin Ceilings
- Get Brian Greer's Tin Ceilingscontact information, plus see product reviews we've published about the company.
- Visit Brian Greer's Tin Ceilings Web Site
