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!
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.
