Inspired To Redecorate?

Unique Ceiling Planks, Ceiling Tiles and Ceiling Panels Offer New Options For Home Remodeling Projects

(HIT) - Though it's probably the biggest single surface in any room—and the last thing we see at night—the ceiling is often overlooked by home remodelers as an opportunity to differentiate a home during remodeling or redecorating projects. Yet 98 percent of all homes built today use plain white gypsum drywall for ceiling surfaces, according to a survey conducted by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

That fact presents a unique opportunity for homeowners to create a warm, inviting, custom look and feel in their homes—for less money than they'd spend on some other, less visible remodeling projects.

Unique, Affordable Ceiling Products

Many new and affordable ceiling surface products are now on the market. Armstrong Building Products, a leader in the ceiling product industry, is one company that is committed to exploring the unique design possibilities for ceilings. Through the company's many different lines of unique, wood-like ceiling planks, patterned ceiling tiles and textured ceiling panels, homeowners now have a wide range of ceiling redecorating options available.

Many of the new ceiling products on the market are well suited for homeowner installation, making a ceiling remodeling project surprisingly affordable for homeowners willing to tackle this kind of remodeling project. "We want customers to have high-end design, but for attainable prices," says Bill Vaughn, marketing manager for the residential ceilings division of Armstrong. "Our WoodHaven™ line, for example, gives the warm, cozy look of wood-grain ceiling planks for a fraction of the cost of a real wood ceiling.

WoodHaven ceiling planks are constructed from a medium-density fiberboard so they're lightweight, durable and easy for do-it-yourselfers to install. A tongue-and-groove system is used to allow these ceiling planks to be installed over cracked or textured ceiling surfaces, making this kind of product ideal for use in older home's where the existing ceiling surface is anything but ideal.

New Ceiling Tile Options For An Old World Look

For homeowners interested in capturing a bit of old world charm in their more modern homes, Armstrong also offers a collection of tin-look ceiling tile systems that replicate the look of centuries old pressed metal ceilings. TinLook ceiling tiles are actually made of mineral fiberboard, but are molded in a variety of distinct patterns that resemble the tin ceilings commonly found in upscale homes during the late 1800's in America.

A quick visit to the paint department at your local home improvement center can easily customize these tiles to suit any home decor. Particularly popular among homeowners are faux finishes in bronze, tin or silver colors. Antiquing washes can also be used to accentuate the textures and patterns of the tin look ceiling tiles.

Recently, Armstrong released two new TinLook ceiling tile patterns—Circles and Raised Panel—bringing the TinLook line to eight distinct patterns. Previously available patterns include: Fans, Squares, Triangles, Wellington, Kensington and TinTile. For approximately $2 per square foot, installation is easy with the tongue-and-groove design and can be completed in a weekend by do-it-yourselfers.

For more information on these and other Armstrong decorative ceiling products, please visit www.armstrong.com or you can call 1-800-233-3823.

		Caption: WoodHaven™ -- Natural Maple The subtleties of WoodHaven ceiling planks accentuate the warm tones of this bedroom. The Natural Maple finish, which was updated for 2006, complements the design and color details to create a comfortable oasis in the home.

		Caption: WoodHaven™ -- Rustic Pine WoodHaven ceiling planks in Rustic Pine draw attention to the dramatic cathedral ceilings, while adding a cozy, warm element to this eating area.

		Caption: TinLook™ -- Squares (painted gold) The TinLook ceiling tiles in the Squares pattern are painted gold to complement the autumnal hues of this sitting room. The TinLook line, which includes eight patterns, offers high-end design at a fraction of the price of authentic stamped metal ceilings.

		Caption: TinLook™ -- Wellington These TinLook ceiling tiles in the Wellington pattern add a subtle decorative element to this charming foyer. Though the tiles can be painted before installation, this homeowner chose to leave them in their original state for an understated accent to the Georgian style.

Courtesy: Home Improvement News and Information Center