An aluminum alloy has now been
created to especially suit these beautiful art metal ceilings. Aluminum is a
corrosion resistant, durable product which doesn't rust,
unlike steel which is used by some manufactures of
pressed tin. The panels are still widely known as
pressed tin even though they are not made from tin.
The panels illustrated below are made from
aluminum.
Painting an ornate, aluminum ceiling
in fine detail is easy because it is painted before it
gets fixed to the ceiling. Most aluminum paneling
is sold with etch primer already on it so it is immediately
ready to paint. You can use one colour over the whole
ceiling, you can add just a touch of colour on the moldings
or you can can paint every detail in various shades of
paint. The patterns in aluminum ceilings are more
deeply pressed than other types of ceilings so they create
lovely shadows themselves just from electric light or from
natural daylight. Accordingly most people use one
colour of paint over the whole ceiling. It is strongly
recommended that pale shades of paint be used. Darker
colours can be appealing in theory but in practice they can
often give a heavy oppressive feel to a room. Oil
based paints otherwise known as enamel paints, are the
best products to use on metal. They give a tough
finish which will last a long time. You don't want
to re-paint your lovely ceiling at any stage so use good
quality paints.
In really tough wear and tear areas
such as on pub walls or in front of bars it can be a
good idea to consider powder coating. This is a
high heat treatment which coats the panels on both sides
and produces a tougher finish than standard oil paints.
There is a limited range of colours used in powder
coating but generally there is a colour to suit most
tastes. Always consider how you will paint your
panels before you order them. If powder coating is
your choice then you will need to order your panels
minus the etch primer. Powder coating and etch
primer are not compatible. Powder coating
companies can be located in your Yellow Pages telephone
directory. Powder coating would generally be
considered excessive on a normal ceiling which is not
subject to wear and tear.
Brushes
Brushes with a width of about 2 -3
inches (6 -7 cm) are the largest you should use when
painting the base color of your panels. You will
need to paint at least two coats. If dark colours
are used then you may need a third coat. Choose
the best quality brush you can afford so that you are
not continually picking off hairs from your beautiful
paint job. When painting the fine details you will
need much smaller brushes. Use artist brushes,
sizes 6 and 4 to start with and progress from there.
Always try to be consistent in the way you paint.
For example, always paint your leaves with brush strokes
in one direction only. Have a small pot of
turpentine at hand and also a box of cheap cotton buds.
Any paint excesses or errors can be smartly wiped away
with a cotton bud which has been moistened with the
turps.
How much detail to paint
Remember that the ceiling will always
be several feet above your head so exceedingly fine
details may not be seen from that distance. It is
easy to paint too much detail into ceiling panels.
Remember "less is often best". Too many colours
can make your ceiling look too "busy". Every so
often you should stand back from your work and assess it
from several feet away.
After the ceiling is installed
When the ceiling is nailed up you
should take a look at the nail heads - if you can find
them. Because such small nails are used you may
find that they are not visible. If necessary you
can paint a tiny amount of paint on the nail heads.
