Decoratively Painting tin ceilings

A. Dear Sharon and Rachel,

Saw both your inquiries while searching information on new tin ceiling [affil links] and history of old. Ours is circa early 1800's and the layers of paint have all been white. As tin can & does rust , a layer of primer such as Zinsser B-I-N Primer Sealer [on eBay or Amazon] or Rustoleum Rusty-Metal Primer [affil links] is necessary. If you are painting an old ceiling with stains and rust spots, just lightly sand with fine sandpaper to smooth out bumps from the rust (use a mask and HEPA-vacuum in case of lead dust) and apply BINS. Then put on your finish coat. I use semi-gloss enamel to bring out all the design detail. The results are beautiful.

Good luck,

A. I had exactly the same problem, My genius-handyman neighbor came up with a solution: satin polyurethane (not water based!) tinted with artist's oil paint. I tinted mine green, but you could just add black or gray to tone down the silver color and the shine. I haven't had it long, but so far it is very attractive and durable.

A couple of cautions:

Do a lot of experimenting before you decide on a color; a little of the oil paint goes a long way in the polyurethane.

AND

the application of the polyurethane is a little tedious, because you have to be very diligent about how much you put on and keep constant watch for drips caused by the tin pattern surfaces--the stuff sets up fast (at least in our dry climate).

A. Hi Kim. I'd suggest you don't go for actual old ceiling panels or a fancy faux finish in such a splashable and possibly greasy area. Buy one of the ceiling patterns with a good factory applied powder coating. They are very robust and perfect for a backsplash!

I did this one and we were happy with it for many years.

Regards,

A. I read about this issue via a browser search after I saw rust on my new tin ceiling [affil links]. I recently installed a tin ceiling and here's what they don't tell you: fingerprints must be removed immediately or they start to cause oxidation to the tin. Surely there must be some kind of glove one could wear (cotton?) to keep the prints off. And once they're there - they stay. We tried the vinegar [in bulk on eBay or Amazon] and water solution that was recommended but the fingerprints remained. Then dad tried turpentine [on eBay or Amazon] - oops! That discolored the metal. Then I tried denatured alcohol which seemed to remove the turpentine stain but not the original fingerprints. Then it rained outside and the window being broken, a lot of humidity came into the room. This morning the three panels that we tried to clean had a fine layer of orange on them. You guessed it - rust! I think we're going to have to use the Rustoleum aluminum color [affil links] paint and cover the whole thing now. What a mess. For 1500 dollars, you'd think the company could have included a couple pages on tips and tricks for new ceilings!

Perhaps with a buffing wheel and some jeweler's rouge (polishing/buffing compound) [affil links] I could bring the original shine back, but it would require me doing the whole ceiling for uniformity, followed by an immediate clear coat - that day or the next. Waiting to deal with the fingerprints was a waste.

A. Although we are calling it "tin", Linda, it's probably not actually tin, it's probably steel. You can buy this material already powdercoated from the factory, which would probably be best if you are using new material ... but steel is readily painted with any made-for-metal paint like rustoleum. Good luck.

A. As you see, Nadine, we appended your question to a thread that hopefully will pretty much answer it. But this would be if you wanted to reuse genuine old tin ceiling tiles. If you are going with new, today you can buy powder coated "ceiling tile" for backsplashes, and that's what we put in our kitchen. We're very happy with it and it will be much more rust resistant than what you can do yourself. Good luck.

Hi Deb. We've now combined your thread with an earlier one which says it's important to keep the fingerprints off in the first place. There doesn't seem to be a good answer because the fingerprints are not a stain that can be removed, but are apparently etched into the finish. Maybe try diluted vinegar (because it's an etchant) on a spot above a cabinet which you can't see from the floor in case it doesn't work well. Neutralize with baking soda [on eBay or Amazon] .

Regards,

A. Hi Steff. Risks are relative, and worry is a personal reaction, so you can't count on a definitive yes/no answer.

But what you are suggesting is what I would do, assuming your girls are not infants who might lick the artwork. Good luck.

Regards,

Hi Iris. I was ruminating about how Darlene could obtain that smooth brass look she wants on the relief points, without brass plating the panels before painting. I have no experience in this, but it sounds like you just answered her question: paint the panels, relieve the paint from the high points, then do a wax rub on the bare areas? If you do the wax rub first, you must be careful to get wax only on the high points, not in the recesses, because the paint won't stick to it.

Regards,