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The Exciting And Traveling Life Of A Plastic Ceiling Tile

What, why and how are three questions every consumer should ask about a plastic ceiling tile before they consider purchasing and installing one. However most people never consider the history of the tile installed on their ceiling. These are installed because someone said they should be, they were easy and they solved the problem.  There is much more to this story that needs to be told. This story includes what they are, why they should be used and most importantly how to use them with flair and distinction.

These wonderful tiles provide safety and comfort in the room they are installed in.  Plastic ceiling tiles are made of plastic, often the material is polystyrene. These are manufactured around the world and sold in a variety of places and stores. This material has a Class A fire rating, meaning it slows down fire and also features an insulation quality up to a 4.55 R value. These can be used indoors or outdoors and are washable with mild detergent. The plastic material does not collect mildew or fungus or attract insects of any kind. In addition these are water resistant, do not flake, crumble or stain easily and can be used in areas of high humidity. Basically plastic ceiling tiles are a versatile and durable product that provides years of attractive use with minor maintenance; these are cheap, easy-to-care for and look good.

Plastic Ceiling TileVersatile panels have thousands of uses; they were designed for a suspended ceiling. With the snap together grid system, a suspended ceiling can be installed quickly with minimal effort and no tools. This is suspended at least 4 inches below another ceiling on an easy-to-assemble grid system. These panels come in a 2′ x 4′ or 2′ x 2′ sizes and gently rest on top of the color-coordinated grids. Very quickly a room can have an attractive, specially selected brand-new ceiling with no dry walling, painting or texturing. Once it is installed, the work is done.

These white panels reflect up to 94% of the light in the room. However the property owner is not limited to white, this comes in a multitude of colors with 16 different ceiling grid colors. Besides different colors, wood shades of cherry, oak and maple are available as well as different metallic colors including bronze, gold, aged silver, aluminum, brass, chrome, smoke and old world or weathered copper. Many companies will color tiles for special orders, or owners can paint the tile the desired shade. The grids can complement, coordinate or contrast the plastic ceiling tiles creating unique and different looks. There are even grid covers available to change the look of an existing suspended ceiling.

The choices of design are unbelievable and mind-boggling. There is a wide variety available in flat or nearly flat surfaces with lightly stenciled designs giving an all-ver look or interesting relieves like seashells, flowers, wreathes and boxes. Three-dimensional panels include Gothic, French, Spanish, exotic animal skins as well as any other figure or symbol imaginable. These can be fairly flat or extremely deep, creating opportunities to customize each space. Some of the more exotic plastic ceiling tiles are hand painted, framed and hung on the walls for artwork. The plastic material is easy to form; if a shopper is looking for a particular design to complement the decor of the room, that shopper can probably find it somewhere.

This durable material can be used in many unusual settings with style and finesse. A bold look in the kitchen will be a backsplash that appears to be old world copper in an old world design placed behind the counter tops. This look could be extended over an ornate flared stove exhaust system giving the appearance of a hand made, metal cover created at great expense. Ornate white panels could frame the fireplace and be painted an attractive color a shade or two lighter or darker than the color of the walls to create a customized look bringing harmony and uniformity to that room. Using decorative plastic ceiling tiles instead of wallpaper on the end of the dining room creates an easy-care solution to a dull and boring wall. On the ceiling and walls of the porch or outdoor room area that is dark and dingy, plastic ceiling tiles create instant beauty, color and versatility. If a bold style and color is chosen and the homeowner gets tired of it in a few months or years, a simple coat of paint will solve the problem at a very minimal cost adding years of carefree and enjoyable service to this versatile product.

A plastic ceiling tile creates a wonderful new space anywhere it is placed. These are very affordable and for a minor investment that even a husband will approve, a homeowner can have the custom dining room ceiling that oozes old world charm and creates the decor that will be raved about for years to come.

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Plastic Ceiling Tiles: Exploring Various Options

Anyone homeowner looking for a great option to spruce up the interior of their house can choose plastic ceiling tiles as an inexpensive and practical means of design and support.  Unlike tiles constructed from stone or wood, plastic is the cheapest building material available and requires practically no upkeep.  A wide variety of ceiling tiles can be found at major home improvement stores — such as giants like Home Depot or Lowe’s, or even online — in various models and colors.  A plastic ceiling tile format may only cost around twenty to thirty dollars to install on a ten by ten foot surface, nearly a tenth the cost of metal or ceramic fixtures.  Indeed, plastic can even be painted in any custom design or color to a customers specifications — a popular choice for families with small kids who want to be in on the design process and paint their own ceiling!

White Plastic Ceiling Tile

Basic White Plastic Ceiling Tile

Before any type of decision is made about choosing or purchasing sets of tiles, it is crucial to figure out the exact specifications required for a room or an entire house, along with any building codes that might restrict certain options for tiling.  While few houses have any specific limits, some ceilings are load bearing fixtures that are difficult or even dangerous to install further products on.  Other construction materials carry the electrical wires or plumbing tubes so close to the surface that using nails or screws to install tiles can rupture a line.  Ensure, furthermore, that the particular plastic is clean and sterile before purchase, or else mildew and mold can grow and either cause the material to rot or produce harmful spores.

Home improvement stores often have do it yourself demonstrations of installing materials or repairing fixtures, but plastic ceiling tiles are very low maintenance and do not require any specific training.  Nonetheless, it is important to know what tools are required for installation of a complete ceiling set.  Glue is an easy and low effort means of attaching ceiling fixtures, but all glue must be industrial strength and capable of setting to metal, wood, or drywall.  This glue is considerably more expensive than paper and wood glue; it is also much more toxic, so that accidents require hospitalization.  If you would prefer to install tile sets with nails or screws, there is less risk of slipping tiles, but much greater effort required to install the set.

Plastic tile is most often used in bathrooms, as the plastic does not absorb water and will retain its shape over a wide range of temperatures; unlike wood there is no concern for rot, and unlike metal there is no concern over rust.  Indeed, plastic ceiling tile options for bathrooms outsell the rest by so much that it may be difficult to find colors and patterns that are meant to fit in other rooms.  Darker, earth tones are much rarer among plastics — the default color is simple white — as the reflective material is also meant to circulate more light around a room.

Ornate Plastic Ceiling Tile with Bronze Appearance

Painting plastic tiles is a simple affair.  Always choose water based paints — for the same reason to choose plastic in a bathroom — so that there is no smearing or running of colors.  Cheap paint for plastic may be difficult to find at home improvement stores, as the paint sold is either meant for outdoor use, or in an indoor capacity the paint should quickly dry against wood or wallpaper.  Indeed, the best option is often turning to an art supply store for one or more colors.  These paints not only retain their form and color in the face of exposure to water, but also have a range of hues that may be more desirable for the aesthetically inclined or for enthusiastic kids.

Although plastic alone is a cheap and durable material, some artisans combine plastic tiles with metals to produce a much more ornate look for your home’s ceilings.  As plastic does not hold water, it is easy to loop metal wire or fixtures through the tiles without having to be concerned about warping or rust.  Copper is a popular choice — again, mostly for bathrooms, as copper is lighter colored — and is so inexpensive a metal that a square foot of copper woven plastic tile only costs a few cents more than the standard plates.

If you are interested in a new look for the ceiling of any or all the rooms in your house, plastic ceiling tiles provide strength and ease of mind with their support and without the need for constant care.  Check out local stores for product inventories and designs, as well as any suggestions for installation.  While paying for installation is usually not necessary, homeowners with delicate ceilings or large exposure to electrical wiring should get consider investing in a professional’s capabilities for proper procedure.

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