Tin ceiling restoration Q&A, Problems & Solutions

A. I once saw a job come into a stamping house for 2 foot tiles.The molds were rubber, but that didn't prevent the tin from being cut at points along the tile if the press is not set up correctly. I would recommend good quality control specifications on any job, it is definitely not "just put it in the press and run it", and there are no "nuisance dimensions" on mold or the finished article.

A. I haven't seen a definitive resource, such as a detailed article from a metals conservator at a museum, but thread 1527 is interesting and informative. Good luck.

A. Try Conservation OnLine website (palimpsest.stanford.edu/)!

A. You can use any methylene chloride based paint stripper (or dimethyl formamide based). And no sanding, tin is soft metal. For clear coat you can use Incralac ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] (USA product, if you want coloured finish add to it some artists' pigment).

A. Hi. Check them with a magnet to make sure they are steel. If so, no common paint stripper will do any damage. If they are not magnetic they could be copper, or real tin as Goran implies above (my limited understanding is that the tiles were never made of tin, but of tin-plated steel). If they are not steel you are restricted to solvents that are safe for that metal. The methylene chloride based stripper (Aircraft Stripper) that Goran mentions is safe for all metals to my knowledge but is really really toxic to people. rubber gloves ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] , goggles, really good ventilation, and no working overhead is essential.

Luck and Regards,

A. Latex over oil base is OK, oil over latex isn't. Something else caused it to peel.

A. Hi Anne!

I don't know about Canada, but here in USA it's illegal to sand blast lead paint or sand it down. What we do down here is just scrape the loose paint and encapsulate with special primer to seal over the lead based paint, and pick every paint chip that was scraped out, put in a garbage bag and dispose of it properly.

Even if you remove all the lead paint from wood, the lead will still be there. If you're going to work with it, use some protection like disposable coverall [affil links], and activated carbon respirator ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] or good dust masks.

Good luck!

A. Best bet is to pay the price and send it to a commercial stripper. It is steel, not tin, and it will rust after the paint is removed, so have a good agreement with your stripper as to what he will do to retard the rusting. Sand blasting will ruin the metal unless it is done with extreme care and it will be slow and the surface will be rough. There is no cheap legal way out on this one.

A. First take the cornice and the molding that transitions the filler strip to the actual panels. This opens up the ceiling so you can get under the panels. Most panels are nailed to 1x2's. Take a long pry bar and put it between the ceiling and the panel and pop it off the 1x2. Once you get it started you can sometimes yank down on it and pull several off at once. The hardest part is the molding which seem to be held on by more nails and bends easily.

A. I also have a tin ceiling that I am restoring. Do not take your ceiling down as others have suggested, this will bend and damage the tins. My ceiling has been painted with latex over oil base and lead base paint, which you should never paint latex over oil base or lead base paints this cause the latex to peel and also some of the under layers to peel. I found a new stripper that is environmentally safe, biodegradable, non caustic, and cleans up with water.

This product is called Multi-Strip [affil links].

I suggest that you cut a piece of plywood that will fit the size of your tin panel, place a double layer of towels over it. Spread a thick layer of stripper on the towel, then use a two by four long enough to prop the plywood to the tin panel. If you should get any rust, this can be removed with a brass wire brush ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] and rust removers. I have been told by tin ceiling manufacturers to repaint with acrylic or oil base paint, never use latex as this is water base and will cause your ceiling to rust.

Good Luck!

A. It is easier, safer, smarter and cheaper to buy new metal.

Hi, Jack. We'll give you 3 out of 4 on that one :-)

Easier, safer, cheaper -- yes! Smarter? Some people have great respect for the past, and like the authenticity & heft of originals; they sometimes find cheap mass produced cardboard or thin gauge factory-finished knock-offs rather stupid. It's a matter of preferences, not intelligence :-)

Thread 1527 and thread 6028 are on a similar topic and have some additional suggestions.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

A. Hi Reba. Is there any way you can leave the paint in place and just continue to paint over it? We appended your inquiry to a thread on the topic and it isn't very safe to strip and scrape lead based paint. It's usually left to professionals and will probably be cost prohibitive for you. You probably can do it, but certainly don't do it while the grand-babies are there. Good luck.

Regards,