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Antiques! => Antique Questions Forum => Topic started by: Debbelle on September 22, 2013, 07:29:12 pm

Title: Tin Ceiling Questions
Post by: Debbelle on September 22, 2013, 07:29:12 pm
This is a tin ceiling in a building that's over 100 years old. The whole ceiling is about 30 ft. x 100 ft. I think it's tin. It is painted. It has a lot of designs on it. That's why I've posted so many pictures. I would like to try to find out information about it.  I'm attaching some pictures here. Also, does it have any value if it were to be taken down. The building may be demolished.
Title: Re: Tin Ceiling Questions
Post by: Debbelle on September 22, 2013, 07:33:49 pm
Here are 2 more pictures to show the rest of the designs.
Title: Re: Tin Ceiling Questions
Post by: mart on September 22, 2013, 08:14:57 pm
Without a doubt,, if you can get it,,take it down !!  These tiles are used for everything !!  Bed headboards, art, wall coverings, those chippy ones are used in shabby chic decorating !! Those are gorgeous !! $9. to $15. each for small ones More for the large ones !!
Title: Re: Tin Ceiling Questions
Post by: Rauville on September 22, 2013, 08:42:21 pm
I don't know where the market has gone, but I use to think the retail value was about $4 / sq. foot for the reusable panels.
Be careful not to wear your better clothes if you decide to take it down. ::)
Title: Re: Tin Ceiling Questions
Post by: greenacres on September 22, 2013, 08:49:18 pm
I don't know where you are located, but my husband does historic restoration. He says there a company in New Jersey by the name of "ERCO". They know all about fhose tiles. We hired them to restore a building from 1700's. The building had changed many times through the centuries.
Title: Re: Tin Ceiling Questions
Post by: Debbelle on September 22, 2013, 08:55:18 pm
Thank you. I'm in Ohio. But, I will check them out.
Title: Re: Tin Ceiling Questions
Post by: greenacres on September 22, 2013, 09:41:06 pm
The company is amazing. When they work on high ceilings, they where stilts. I'm sure they have a web page.
Title: Re: Tin Ceiling Questions
Post by: cogar on September 23, 2013, 02:34:30 am

Be careful not to wear your better clothes if you decide to take it down. ::)

Right, and a dust mask will help cause there's usually 100 years of dust collected on top of them. ;D ;D
Title: Re: Tin Ceiling Questions
Post by: mart on September 23, 2013, 06:48:06 am
I don't know where the market has gone, but I use to think the retail value was about $4 / sq. foot for the reusable panels.
Be careful not to wear your better clothes if you decide to take it down. ::)

Craft and home décor industry has raised the value a bit !!
Title: Re: Tin Ceiling Questions
Post by: KC on September 23, 2013, 04:34:42 pm
I know in many areas the demolition company generally knows the monetary value of these and tries to recover it.  Can't believe the owners wouldn't get a salvage company to get all they needed first.

But yes....they are highly sought after!!!  You won't retire on the $$ value...but they are highly sought after!
Title: Re: Tin Ceiling Questions
Post by: jacon4 on September 23, 2013, 04:50:23 pm
Well, hate to throw a wet towel on this but, they still make tin ceiling panels today and, the problem you are probably going to discover is, that paint is most likely lead based which means it will cost more to strip and make useable than buying new tin panels.

http://www.americantinceilings.com/
Title: Re: Tin Ceiling Questions
Post by: mart on September 23, 2013, 05:47:13 pm
Many in the home décor and craft industry do not want them stripped,,they want them as-is and throw a clear sealer on them !! The lead based paint would not worry me as long as no infants are allowed to chew on it !! I have probably eaten half a ton  of it !!  That's about all we had and since my family was in the building business we were exposed to a lot of it !!  Our cribs were painted with it as well as everything else !! None of us had lead poisoning !! And My granddad and my dad tore down houses in some of the Dallas historic districts !! They didn`t restore many houses back then !!  And they both lived a long life !!  I just think so much of this stuff is hyped up that it scares people without them ever thinking about it logically or using common sense !! If its so bad now,, why wasn`t it bad back then ?? If it was,, I should have croaked years ago !!
Title: Re: Tin Ceiling Questions
Post by: KC on September 23, 2013, 07:40:59 pm
Yepper...what Mart said.  Beat me to it.  Clear coat!!
Title: Re: Tin Ceiling Questions
Post by: cogar on September 24, 2013, 03:58:21 am
Scared of living ....... and afraid of dying.  ::) ::) ::) ::) ::)
Title: Re: Tin Ceiling Questions
Post by: jacon4 on September 24, 2013, 05:34:15 am
LOL, well yeah, I have been in the construction industry all my life, ALOT different now than in days gone by however, when it comes to a house for instance, if you have plans of ever selling it, one just can not ignore the realities of today. Just saying......
Title: Re: Tin Ceiling Questions
Post by: greenacres on September 24, 2013, 08:22:55 am
My husband says he works twice as hard for less money. Construction is a different business today.
Title: Re: Tin Ceiling Questions
Post by: mart on September 24, 2013, 09:05:38 am
LOL, well yeah, I have been in the construction industry all my life, ALOT different now than in days gone by however, when it comes to a house for instance, if you have plans of ever selling it, one just can not ignore the realities of today. Just saying......

I understood what you meant Jacon4, I mean the public in general that sometimes doesn`t seem to use their head for more than a hat rack !! The only thing I can see that is accomplished by making things that have been around for years bad for you,,is to give the paint manufacturers a difficult time and to open up a new industry for the removal specialists that people cant afford !! The fact is that almost any substance when concentrated and applied to the human body over a long enough period is not going to be good for you !!
Title: Re: Tin Ceiling Questions
Post by: jacon4 on September 24, 2013, 09:17:06 am
There is another factor here, cost of restoration/installation VS new/installation. I would say without knowing the particulars of this tin ceiling situation that the costs would be cheaper going new because
1. You would have to be very careful with removal not to tear/damage tin
2. Then you have the lead paint issue that would have to be addressed
3. It's almost always more expensive to restore/install than the other way round

Naturally, there could be plus factors with the old ceiling that would cancel out any negatives, all i am saying is, just because it's old does not mean it's worthy of restoration.
Title: Re: Tin Ceiling Questions
Post by: greenacres on September 24, 2013, 01:19:27 pm
I understand plenty Jacon4. I live it. Yes it is much cheaper to buy new tiles.  But, people must be aware how expensive it is to buy old properties. It's the unknown that gets you all the time.
Title: Re: Tin Ceiling Questions
Post by: jacon4 on September 24, 2013, 05:05:07 pm
Going back to OP question...... "Also, does it have any value if it were to be taken down."

No, probably not
Title: Re: Tin Ceiling Questions
Post by: ghopper1924 on September 25, 2013, 05:26:15 am
Many in the home décor and craft industry do not want them stripped,,they want them as-is and throw a clear sealer on them !! The lead based paint would not worry me as long as no infants are allowed to chew on it !! I have probably eaten half a ton  of it !!  That's about all we had and since my family was in the building business we were exposed to a lot of it !!  Our cribs were painted with it as well as everything else !! None of us had lead poisoning !! And My granddad and my dad tore down houses in some of the Dallas historic districts !! They didn`t restore many houses back then !!  And they both lived a long life !!  I just think so much of this stuff is hyped up that it scares people without them ever thinking about it logically or using common sense !! If its so bad now,, why wasn`t it bad back then ?? If it was,, I should have croaked years ago !!

Hmmm, this explains alot..... ;) :D
Title: Re: Tin Ceiling Questions
Post by: mart on September 25, 2013, 06:14:57 am
Many in the home décor and craft industry do not want them stripped,,they want them as-is and throw a clear sealer on them !! The lead based paint would not worry me as long as no infants are allowed to chew on it !! I have probably eaten half a ton  of it !!  That's about all we had and since my family was in the building business we were exposed to a lot of it !!  Our cribs were painted with it as well as everything else !! None of us had lead poisoning !! And My granddad and my dad tore down houses in some of the Dallas historic districts !! They didn`t restore many houses back then !!  And they both lived a long life !!  I just think so much of this stuff is hyped up that it scares people without them ever thinking about it logically or using common sense !! If its so bad now,, why wasn`t it bad back then ?? If it was,, I should have croaked years ago !!

Hmmm, this explains alot..... ;) :D

I was waiting on someone to say that !!  ;D
Title: Re: Tin Ceiling Questions
Post by: cogar on September 25, 2013, 04:07:39 pm


Hmmm, this explains alot..... ;) :D

I was waiting on someone to say that !!  ;D

 ;D ;D ;D ;D and that's why we have a lot of "guests" that view this Forum.
Title: Re: Tin Ceiling Questions
Post by: KC on September 26, 2013, 09:09:58 am
LOLOL  Mart, you walked into that one! 
Title: Re: Tin Ceiling Questions
Post by: mart on September 26, 2013, 12:10:56 pm
Ha !!  Just gave them fuel for the fire didn`t I ??? :D
Title: Re: Tin Ceiling Questions
Post by: jacon4 on September 26, 2013, 03:08:19 pm
LOL, oh dear, i think someone just called mart crazy. To much ingestion of lead as a child i am guessing!
Title: Re: Tin Ceiling Questions
Post by: mart on September 26, 2013, 03:14:33 pm
LOL !!  You think that's what they are trying to tell me Jacon4 ??
Title: Re: Tin Ceiling Questions
Post by: jacon4 on September 26, 2013, 03:22:16 pm
Well mart, you know, there is a theory that ingestion of lead was one of the leading causes of the fall of the roman empire. Matter of fact, plumber is latin for...."worker of lead", 2 thousand year old profession. So, 2,000 years later plumbers are still working with it a bit but no where near the old days.
The latest federal mandate on lead relates to brass fittings which, until 2011 had trace amounts of lead. Now it does not and that 1 little change has caused the prices of brass fittings to double, naturally, plumbers are switching to stainless steel fittings as a result.
Title: Re: Tin Ceiling Questions
Post by: mart on September 26, 2013, 09:10:14 pm
And have you priced anything in stainless lately ?? Went to get a snap latch for one of the horse stalls, didn`t look I just grabbed one,,went to pay and that thing was $12. I asked if it was sterling but no,,just stainless steel !! Took it back and got a brass one for $2.49 !! Works just as well !!
Title: Re: Tin Ceiling Questions
Post by: jacon4 on September 27, 2013, 02:16:17 am
Mart, yeah, brass is still a very competitive metal EXCEPT when used for plumbing fittings, it's gotten to be outrageous with new federal mandate on lead. This has led to a boom in 304 stainless fittings in the plumbing/mechanical market.
Were trace amounts of lead in brass fittings installed in a domestic water system harmful to humans? I dont really know but i do know that forcing foundries to remove those trace amounts is hideously expensive.
Title: Re: Tin Ceiling Questions
Post by: ghopper1924 on September 27, 2013, 05:30:29 am
Lead actually has alot of good qualities -  thus the millenia of use - but the human body has 0 tolerance for it. Health wise, it's hard to argue in favor of lead.
Title: Re: Tin Ceiling Questions
Post by: greenacres on September 27, 2013, 09:01:54 am
With the new Chicago tiles out there you could make your life much easier by replacing the old. In Phila. if you have lead paint it's illegal. I had a friend who was sued because of it. The renter said their child ate some paint chips and it effected the child. It's better to be safe then sorry.
Title: Re: Tin Ceiling Questions
Post by: jacon4 on September 27, 2013, 09:18:33 am
Yeah, when it comes to lead, the govt has no humor at all. Add in lawyers.........
Title: Re: Tin Ceiling Questions
Post by: KC on September 27, 2013, 11:08:35 am
I still believe if you have nothing but time on your hands and want to invest it in the ceiling tiles...you can make some money!

That is true about the lead!  But...many places have had the paint sealed/redone over the years and you may even be barking up the wrong tree on the paint on these!