Corrugated metal ceiling

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asa
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Joined: Mon Apr 01, 2013 8:03 pm

Anyone ever do a corrugated metal panel ceiling? We have some repairs to do to our ceiling and most of the area, they are purely aesthetic, but it joins areas that need repair. Our contractor suggested a suspended ceiling, so we have looked into ceilinglink as opposed to the stuff at HD/Lowes, etc., but today a coworker was talking about how they just had a tin ceiling put in to mimic their favorite cabin (the actual corrugated panels like you would use for roofing - maybe slightly thinner guage - not the decorative tin tiles). And that got me thinking that it might be an option. Would be cheaper. And I think weight would be okay. Weight works out to less than 1/2 a pound per square foot.

Is there anything I am not thinking about that should be a red flag before we investigate this more?
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Greg
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Weight should not be an issue, but price might. I have never seen it done so I can't say how it would look. It may be hard to work with, but different.

Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
asa
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Price was good in comparison to the other options we have looked at. $0.70 per square foot for the metal panels. Only other cost would be the screws and if we decide to add any trim.
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JeffInFL
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How is it purchased? 2x8 sheets? My main concern would be working with the material .. how easy is it to cut, drill thru, etc.
asa
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The stuff we would use is very thin. Sheets are available in a few lengths. They are 26" across for the overlap (so would cover 24"). Locally we can get them at 10', 12', 14' and 16'. If possible, we'd probably go with the 16' length to have as few of seams as possible - the main room is just over 30' long, so we could add one trim board down the middle if we decided it needed one.

I've seen it done quite a bit for a rustic feel (where the panels look old, or actually ARE old and rustic), but I haven't seen as many examples of it left shiny or painted. If you don't have any clue what it would look like, you can get a pretty good feel for it in these two videos (although they are pretty brief). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPPbs0OHK84
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Lhg-sCI ... &index=127

Supposedly to paint it, you can soak it with vinegar to acid etch the finish a bit and then use a flat latex paint on it.
asa
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This would be an example of why I might want a board where the two sheets meet - if we get off at all and the sheets do not match up perfectly like in this photo. Or at least it appears to me that they are slightly off. We have actually worked with the thicker stuff lots building lots of animal sheds, etc.

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opinion free
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I really like the look, very urban/industrial loft. I can see that when the panels aren't alligned perfectly, the results may be too abandoned/burned out/crack house building. I like the idea of the suspended or drop ceiling effect. However those delicate little tracks used may defeat the whole intended look.
How about a simple wood (2x4) grid, screwed into the ceiling, framing each corrugated metal panel individually. That way the each panel isn't actually touching each other and the (2x4) framing can be painted a contrasting color to the metal panels. It would create a modern, coffered ceiling effect with a real hip look.
Just an idea, good luck.
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JeffInFL
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I like the idea of a corrugated drop ceiling :) maybe even turn every other panel 90 degrees to get a checkerboard look!
asa
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The problem with the grid is just cost. Every single cent counts right now. This can just be screwed directly to the ceiling we have now and it will only lower the height by 1/2 inch.

I can't post the photo directly, but if you click on the link, you will see it done with single decorative board where the panels would meet lengthwise. http://www.houzz.com/photos/75507/Basem ... ther-metro

Here is that checkerboard look...
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And here is your two ideas combined - wood grid, checkerboard pattern! I think both look cool, but not the look I am going for in my house.
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1987Commodore
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Location: Steuben County, NY

Not a fan of the checkerboard myself. You could hang the metal sheets now, then when funds allow use some 1X trim boards in a pattern you select. You could even use a router to detail the boards some to add interest, and paint or stain to your decor.
asa
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Hopefully I can get by with zero boards or just the one where the two long pieces will meet. The sheets are designed to overlap, so there shouldn't be a need for a trim piece in that direction.

Much of the other part of the house has 1x4's with routered edges that are where the strips are. The kitchen had a faux lowered ceiling complete with cedar shakes all around it. Removed it and gained 6". (You could tell there was a ceiling above it). Unfortunately, they just broke up big pieces of the upper ceiling where they brought down the light fixtures and then there was an island/bar type thing and they shot a ton of nails down through the ceiling.

This is an older photo, but shows the ceiling basically how it still remains today. See the one light fixture just hanging, hole where power came down into the bar area, and lots of nails coming through. Also shows a bit of the 1Xs that had already been done to the ceiling in the other room.

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asa
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Due to the height of my ceilings, and not really being a showy person, I thinking painting it white would be best.

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1987Commodore
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Location: Steuben County, NY

Yes, I like the white best. You could do the paint prep before you put it up. It will probably have oils from production on it.
asa
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You either have to use a special (i.e. expensive) primer or use vinegar to acid etch the finish before painting.
opinion free
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Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2012 3:24 pm

I'm not a gambling man, but if I were, I'd bet you a box of donuts, that those white panels, in the pictures are corrugated PVC or plastic. They align and lay too perfectly together. Next time your in HD, please check out their roofing/fencing section. They have the expensive corrugated metal panels and right next to them are corrugated PVC panels in a rainbow of colors (wait till you see the high gloss white), so no painting is required. They even have corrugated fasteners that allow for a perfect connection between the corrugated pieces. These fasteners (about $1.25 each) allow the panels to fit together without the wooden dividers/grid between the panels, allowing more for the look, I think your going for.
Good luck.
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