Comparison of Tin and Plastic Ceiling Tiles

Choosing between tin and plastic for your ceiling tiles can be a daunting task, especially if you are not familiar with how they compare to each other.

To compare tin ceiling tiles with plastic ceiling tiles, you need to know some things about both:

• The purpose of each product
• The benefits
• The drawbacks
• Additional advantages
• The price of each product

Once you have this information, you will be able to compare them more easily and know which one is best suited for you.

In this article, you will learn more about the benefits each product has to offer. This way, you can confidently choose the best option that meets the requirements for the renovation you are undertaking.

What are the purposes of installing tin or plastic ceiling tiles?

In addition to the obvious, there are many other purposes that are often overlooked when choosing between tin or plastic ceiling tiles.

For example, tin ceiling tiles are wonderful if you desire a stain-free product that is easy to clean. On the other hand, plastic is great if you are looking for an option that acts as an insulator. Plastic can help keep your home warmer during winter months and cooler during summer months.

Reasons for choosing tin ceiling tiles

If you are one of the many people concerned about fire safety, tin ceiling tiles have a fire rating of one hour. This means that tin ceiling tiles are known to withstand the heat and force of a fire for up to one hour after the fire starts.

Another reason why some people choose tin over plastic is the way it reflects light. Tin has that beautiful, shiny luster. In fact, tin was considered a luxurious building material in the 19th century due to this factor.

These are both very important factors for why someone would choose tin over plastic.

Purposes of selecting plastic ceiling tiles

If you are looking for a material that is easy to work with when constructing or renovating, plastic is a great choice! Plastic is easy to cut and very flexible. This helps in securing the tiles tightly together to create a neat finish.

Another great fact about plastic is that it is a wonderful choice for allergy sufferers. Most plastics like PVC have a natural hypoallergenic element. They do not generate dust and also do not collect dust.

Plastic tiles are one of those materials where many values are overlooked.

The advantages of using tin ceiling tiles

Some of the benefits of tin ceiling tiles include:

• Durable
  • With proper care and correct installation, tin tiles can last for more than 20 years! This surpasses the average, which normally lasts around 10 years before you need to replace ceiling tiles. This is because tin does not form mold and does not rot.
• Sustainable
  • Tin does not rust. It is also a sustainable choice for you as it is environmentally friendly and non-toxic. Most of them are powder coated, so they do not cause any air quality issues in your home.
  • If you choose tin, make sure the tiles are powder coated and not painted.
• Customizable design
  • Tin ceiling tiles were popular during the Victorian era. On request, you can have your tiles created with any design you desire. This is great for interior design enthusiasts or creative individuals who want to add character to their ceilings.
• Great for enhancing both natural and artificial light
  • The fantastic thing about tin ceiling tiles is that they reflect both natural and artificial light. This makes the room appear larger. Tin ceiling tiles are a great choice for smaller spaces and rooms without windows.

The advantages of using plastic ceiling tiles

Some of the benefits of using plastic ceiling tiles include:

• Flexible
  • The plastic used in constructing ceiling tiles is flexible. This means you don’t have to stop what you’re doing to make a cut; you can bend it to fit into a difficult space. Overall, it shortens your installation time.
• Easy installation
  • Because plastic tiles are easy to cut and bend, installation becomes easier. Not to mention you have more choices of adhesive to use as plastic easily adheres to a surface.
• Crack resistant
• If you need to remove a tile, you can simply scrape between the adhesive and the tile. It comes off easily without breaking, so you don’t have to deal with a lot of mess. The fact that it is crack-resistant also means you don’t have to worry about issues with weather changes.
• Wallet-friendly
  • Plastic tiles come in boxes. Each case ranges in price from about $30 to $55, but varies depending on your choice.
  • Plastic is known to be a cheaper alternative to tin. Though you don’t get the customizable tiles or the best light reflection, you still get a high-quality product. Plus, you have many different colors and designs to choose from.

The disadvantages of tin ceiling tiles

The disadvantages of tin ceiling tiles include:

• They can be quite expensive
  • Unfinished
    • Nail-up: $6 – $7 per tile
    • Snap-Together: $10 per tile
    • Drop-in: $6 – $7
  • Powder coated
    • Nail-up: $12 – $22 per tile
    • Snap-together: $14 – $25 per tile
    • Drop-in: $12 – $22 per tile
  • The prices listed reflect the average price and do not include customizable tiles or tiles on sale.
• Difficult installation
  • There are many different ways to install the tiles. Snap-together is the easiest to handle, but if you don’t prefer that, the others can be somewhat more difficult to install. It’s best to either hire someone to do it or get help from someone.
• Not much room for additional decor
  • The color scheme and design of tin limit the room for decorating. It would be ideal if you plan on having many neutral colors or shades of blue. It adds a lot of pizzazz, which is great! But if you want to change your designs frequently, tin may not be ideal.

The disadvantages of plastic ceiling tiles

Some of the disadvantages of plastic ceiling tiles are:

• Not a good sound barrier
  • Most people choose to install ceiling tiles as a sound barrier. Plastic is not a good choice if this is one of the benefits you are looking for. Plastic does not have much density in its original form, so it needs even more of that density packed into a ceiling tile. That’s why noise easily penetrates through.
• Low fire rating
  • Plastic tiles have a fire rating between 15 minutes and 30 minutes. The heat from the fire causes the plastic to warp and melt. This can be dangerous as plastic gives off toxic fumes when burned. The fire rating also gives your family less time to escape in the unfortunate event of a fire.
• Average lifespan of 10 years
  • 10 years is the average lifespan of a simple plastic tile. If your budget allows, you can opt for an upgrade to a PVC tile. PVC is more durable and lasts longer, up to 17 years or more. All of this, of course, depends on how much care you give to your ceiling over the years.

Additional benefits of tin and plastic ceiling tiles

In addition to the primary and intended purposes of each ceiling tile, many more benefits are often overlooked. However, this is understandable as you typically make a choice that encompasses your needs and desires. If you find that a product is ideal, why spend time researching the additional benefits?

Interesting benefits of tin ceiling tiles

In addition to the obvious benefits, here are a few more interesting ones you may find:

• Increases the value of your home
  • Because they are more durable and last longer than other ceiling tiles, the value of your home will climb high. This is especially true if the colors of your ceiling complement and complete a theme.
• You can paint them if you want
  • If you don’t want to match your design to the tile, you can paint the tile to match your design. However, be sure to ensure that the paint adheres well to tin and metal.
• Easy maintenance
  • The only type of maintenance you need to perform on your tin ceiling tiles is dusting. Just remember to do this on the days you dust your house to ensure they last longer.
• You can use them for other things, such as:
  • Headboards
    • All you need are some tin tiles and an old wooden door!
  • Portholes
    • This is an easy way to have some stained glass-like element for your home.
  • Backsplash
    • A backsplash is used to decorate the backsplash of your counter and kitchen sink. You can do this with tin!

Interesting benefits of plastic ceiling tiles

You may be surprised to know that plastic ceiling tiles also have additional benefits! Here are a few:

• They are 100% recyclable
  • If you are an environmental enthusiast, this is a great choice that matches your lifestyle.
• Can be installed over old ceramic tiles
  • You don’t have to worry about removing old ceramic tiles before installation. This can easily be done with a peel-and-stick adhesive or a ceramic adhesive. Just be sure to sand the top layer of the ceramic to ensure any glossy surfaces have been removed.
• When painted, they maintain their shine for a long time
  • Plastic loves shine! Since plastic has a smooth surface, it allows for better adhesion for the gloss.
• These can also be used for other things, such as:
  • Shelving background
    • You can place the tiles on the back of your shelving to add some design to your storage space.
  • Cove for kitchen or bathroom
    • Add some artistic waves for decoration with some plastic tiles. You can also throw some color in to make it even more interesting!
  • Wall art
    • There is a variety of designs to choose from. You could cut them accordingly and stick them on a board to hang a beautiful piece at home.

What is the price difference between tin ceiling tiles and plastic ceiling tiles?

The price difference between the two products varies significantly. Of course, each of them has different qualities, so the price can fluctuate in either direction. For example, artificial tin is cheaper than real tin. But faux tin is a bit more difficult to work with as it tends to have poor structure.

Tin is usually more expensive than plastic. This is because it is an overall higher-quality product and is more valuable than plastic.

Although plastic can also be expensive depending on the quality. PVC is four times the cost of regular plastic ceiling tiles.

The price depends on your material preferences and the quality of the material you desire.

Different installation methods for tin ceiling tiles and plastic ceiling tiles

There are different installation methods for tin tiles. Be sure to check the description to ensure it is suitable for your preferred installation method.

The different installation options are:

• Nail-Up
  • This involves nailing each tile individually. The edge has a 1/4-inch overlap in which you screw in the overlaps. This is best for someone who loves precision but also doesn’t mind taking the extra time to finish the project.
  • Especially with plastic, it can be a bit tricky. Plastic tends to splinter, creating some unwanted protruding parts around the nail. In this case, simply take a piece of sandpaper and sand it down to smooth it out.
• Snap-In Tiles
  • The thing about snap-in tiles is that, although they snap in, they still need to be nailed. The only difference is that you won’t need as many nails since you’re not overlapping as much.
  • The potential drawback of snap-in tiles is that one side may pop up even as you nail the other. This method requires a lot of patience, but when done right, it can cut your project time by about 30%.
• Drop-in Tiles
• The drop-in method only works for people with suspended ceiling systems. Think of a school where you can push the tiles up from the frame. This is a suspended ceiling system.
• Drop-in tiles work by inserting the tile through the opening and resting it on the frame it will fit into.
• Adhesive
• This is not recommended for tin ceiling tiles as tin tends to be heavier than plastic. This increases the risk of a tile falling and possibly injuring someone. However, this would be a great option if you were creating a backsplash or a headboard out of your tin tiles.
• For plastic, this would be a great option as plastic easily adheres to all types of different materials. It would be a good idea to purchase a quick-drying adhesive for ceiling work.
• Peel and Stick
• Once again, not an option for tin.
• This is ideal for any project that needs to be done quickly. Although it halves the time it will take, peel-and-stick adhesive is not that great. You can add some adhesive to it to make it work if you need to.

Choosing between tin or plastic ceiling tiles depends on your personal preferences and needs

Understanding the advantages and disadvantages of each, as well