How To Protect Acoustic Ceiling Tiles

One of problems with acoustic ceiling tiles is that they are very fragile. The slightest scratch could be impossible to hide, so the best thing to do is to prevent damage from the outset. The two most common methods are to paint the tiles with an acrylic finish that protects against damage, or cover them with a tougher material. Many types of ceiling panel protection are outlined below, including such diverse requirements as protecting from spray painting, and adding a decorative cover.

Types of Protection Required

A minor scrape can cause severe scratches, and there is very little that can be done to prevent damage short of painting the tiles with an acrylic paint. If you are simply protecting the tiles from dust during remodeling, or airborne paint during spraying, all that might be required is a drop cloth. If you are removing the tiles for storage, the way they are stacked helps protect them from damage. Finally, covering each tile with a thin material allows you complete protection against any visible damage.

Step 1: Protection for Painting

Drop cloths can be hung from the wall angle and ceiling grid to protect ceiling panels. Lift the tile slightly and insert one small fold of drop cloth. Use a thin plastic drop cloth, because most drop ceilings are not suitable for heavy fabric covers to be suspended from them.

Step 2: Protected Storage

When removing drop ceiling tiles, always stack them in the same pattern. Begin by placing a plastic drop cloth on the floor where the tiles will stack, and place a piece of cardboard the size of a tile on the plastic. Place the first ceiling tile face up, and the second one face down. Doing this keeps the backs of tiles touching and the faces touching, which prevents damage to the ceiling tile faces if the stack shifts. Once the stack is complete, wrap it in the drop cloth.

Step 3: Protective Finish

To properly paint acoustic ceiling tile, you have two choices: remove the tiles and paint them, or paint them in place. If you do not want to paint the ceiling grid, or wish to paint it a different color, remove the tiles and space them on a flat surface, face up. Paint the grid, and then paint the tiles. For painting the tiles without removal, purchase a non-bridging paint that will not bond the tiles and grid together.

Step 4: Decorative Protection

Individual tiles can be covered with light fabric or other materials. Some ideas for custom ceiling tiles would be to cover them with clear plastic wrap or colored linens, or even wrap the tiles with thin sheets of metal, such as aluminum foil of gold leaf. To apply this method, remove the tile and fold the material carefully over the face and sides. On the tile back, material edges can be taped or held in place with sparingly used thumb tacks.