Create a Turn-of-the-Century Look With Metal Ceilings

The world of construction is becoming more and more homogenous as the years go by. Instead of hiring a contractor to build a one-of-a-kind house, it is very common for families to purchase a house in a development that is very similar to the other homes around it. While you can customize these houses to a certain extent, the wide variety that comes with each family building a house to their own particular specifications is going the way of the corner grocery or the five and dime. Homeowners looking to break the monotony have quite a few options, but only a handful come close to the unique appearance of a metal ceiling.

Metal Ceiling Basics
Pressed metal was widely used in the late 1800s and early 1900s to decorate ceilings and walls as well as exteriors such as storefronts, awnings, marquises, and building cornices. Painted stamped tin ceiling panels were most common, but stamped metal ceilings made of brass and copper were also used for more impressive effects.

A variety of traditional and new decorative metal ceiling products are now available for residential as well as commercial use. Not only are all the great old designs still here to recreate a turn-of-the-century feeling, but there are also many new ones in a wide variety of styles and materials for bold, contemporary looks.

Benefits of Metal Ceilings
Metal ceilings are popular for many reasons. They are longer lasting and more easily maintained than other materials; they won't crack, peel, flake, or drop chunks on the floor; they are richly ornamental and decorative, and there is a far greater variety of styles than almost any other type of ceiling. They also serve a variety of practical functions, including sound absorption, sanitation, beautification, and security.

Stamped Metal Ceilings
Ceiling panels come in a variety of patterns, colors, sizes, and finishes, including tin, steel, aluminum, copper, brass, chrome, and powder-coated finishes to harmonize with any design scheme. Side walls plates and accessories such as moldings, cornices, coves and miters are also available. Stamped metal ceiling panels also offer a great alternative for backsplashes or behind wood stoves.

Traditional stamped metal ceilings are constructed by nailing panels directly to ceilings while modern techniques suspend panels from grids. Many panels are designed to install easily onto standard suspension systems in new construction or the existing grid for remodeling projects. Concealed grid systems can recreate a traditional stamped look as well as many contemporary looks, such as cell panel ceilings.

Metal ceilings and stamped panels are not your run-of-the-mill installation, so make sure that you get a contractor that has some experience dealing with them. This might take a little legwork on your part, but the result will be worth it in the end. Since this is a far less common installation than other ceiling varieties, it is doubly important to get estimates from several contractors and check out work that they've done before. If you plan on doing the job yourself, it might be a good idea to talk to a service professional who has some experience in the area in addition to following the manufacturer's installation guidelines.