Tin ceilings were innovative in the mid nineteenth century. Tin ceilings were America’s middle-class response to the decorative plaster ceilings which were utilized heavily by wealthy Europeans. At the time, tin ceilings were very easy to mass produce, superior to plaster in many ways, extremely detailed, and light and easy to work with. These embossed metal panels were found covering countless ceilings in businesses, homes and hotels. Interest in tin ceilings was especially piqued along with the popularity of renovation architecture in the late 1900s, which resulted in many modern reproductions of pressed tin for ceilings.
Decorative plaster ceilings, like those that had gained so much popularity and envy in the homes of wealthy Europeans were quite beautiful, but not all together very practical, as they took a great amount of time to mold, and were heavy to ship. Additionally, it was very difficult to apply them to an unfinished ceiling. Employing the use of tin panels instead translated to much easier installation, finer detail work, and far less expense. These sheets also absorbed sound well, resisted moisture and mildew, and appeared to last much longer than player or drywall ever could. It was easy for installers to simply nail them into wood, and the square panels were very easy to handle.
The tin ceiling tend peaked in the 1890s, and then much of the ornamentation was eventually covered with drywall or acoustic drop-ceiling tiles. Preserved tin was therefore uncovered when restoration experts went in to return homes to the grandeur they knew before the turn of the century. Though the tin ceilings often need a little bit of tender loving care in the form of mending, stripping or repainting, much of it has withstood the passage of time better than could have been expected.
Now, companies have begun to recreate pressed tin panels in patterns that were used in the past with reinvigorated interest. The nostalgia for that American era brings us the possibility for silver, copper and antiqued finishes of the original metal as well as customized designs to complement more modern architecture. Many designers still paint the tin ceilings white in order to give off the look of plaster, but the original tin appearance is still quite popular, especially when it comes to emulating the true tin ceiling style from the 1800s.
