Should You Paint Your Ceiling Tiles?

Written by Milan Jara on 5th Aug 2015

As creative people, we understand the temptation to paint ceiling tiles every once in a while to get a different look. Most people do not buy new ceiling tiles and paint them, especially since we offer so many options for designs and colors. But when it comes to older tiles, people sometimes want to change the color around to get something different. To help the process, we offer advice on the pros and cons of painting your ceiling tiles and some “how-to” tips on the best ways to do it.

Paint Your Ceiling Tiles

Get the Color You Want

If you have been staring at white ceiling tiles for years and want some color, then painting them is a viable option. Of course, we would recommend browsing our site and finding new tiles that will give you a unique and lasting look. But if you want to utilize the tiles you have, then painting them is not a bad idea.

Acoustical Properties

If you have acoustical tiles, then they are specially designed to absorb sound. If you paint those tiles, you will wind up filling in the pores that absorb sound, and you will reduce your ceiling’s ability to keep things quiet in that room. If acoustical properties are important to you, then you will want to find an alternative to painting the ceiling tiles.

Design a New Pattern

We are going to go ahead and admit that painting tiles different colors to get a pattern in your ceiling is much easier than removing old tiles and installing new ones. While we always recommend replacing old tiles, painting those tiles to get the ceiling pattern you want can be an economical approach to giving your room a new look.

Cracking and Peeling

Paint can look like an appealing way to spruce up old tiles, but it is important to remember that paint can crack and peel over time. When you buy quality ceiling tiles from our inventory, they are original material that will not crack or peel due to changes in the atmosphere. But paint can be unpredictable, and you may not be happy with the results in a year or two.

Words of Advice

If you can remove the tiles from the ceiling to paint them, then do so. Even if you plan on painting the suspended ceiling frame as well, you should remove each tile and paint it thoroughly to have the project look right. You do not want to use paint as glue that holds the panels in place because that will make it difficult to repair the ceiling later, if repairs are necessary.

Use a primer on your tiles, especially tiles with stains on them. If you do have stains on your tiles, then use a primer that is specifically designed to cover up stains. A primer will help to seal in any odors or other imperfections and allow your tiles to come out looking clean when the paint dries.

If you are painting acoustical tiles, you can retain some of their sound-absorbing abilities by painting the tiles using an air-spraying paint gun. The paint gun will break the paint down into small particles that have less of a chance of clogging up the acoustical pores than a steady stream of rolled-on paint.

Always clean metal tiles thoroughly before painting them, and only use paint that is designed to be used on metal. For metal tiles, allow each layer of primer and paint to dry before adding the next layer.

If you really feel like it is time to get a new look from your ceiling, then we always recommend buying new tiles. But if you want to paint your ceiling tiles , then be sure to follow a process that will allow you to get the best possible results each time.