By Gene and Katie Hamilton

With its intricate pattern and dimensional good looks, a tin ceiling can transform any ordinary room into the centerpiece of the house. And the pressed panels can do wonders to conceal a hodgepodge of repair patches in an old ceiling.

The pressed metal panels come in 2-by-4-foot sheets in a variety of decorative patterns and designs. The panels are nailed to furring strips on the ceiling. All these components are part of a ceiling system designed for installation in different size rooms and configurations. The joints are concealed by decorated nails and cornice moldings.

A carpenter will charge $1,080 to install a 180-square-foot pressed tin 37 percent. Budget more for alkyd paint, which is applied before installation. You can learn more about tin ceilings and find several manufacturers by typing "tin ceiling" in a search engine.

The job involves installing furring strips on the ceiling to outline the perimeter of the room, securing the metal panels to the strips and then concealing the edges with cornice molding. You'll need an electric drill, hammer, carpenter's level, bevel square, file, tin snips and, of course, a ladder.

Sound too complicated and time consuming? Here's a link to Home Advisor, a free referral service that matches homeowners with local contractors.

Need inspiration and ideas? Here are Ceiling Design Articles from Armstrong.

DIY Hassle Alert

The metal panels can have sharp edges so wear gloves to protect your hands. And to make layout easier and be assured that the ceiling is level, rent or buy a laser level.

Wrapping up, given the average cost to install a tin ceiling you can compare the price of a contractor’s bid with doing it yourself. For a local cost input your ZIP Code.

Improvement and Repair Cost Updated 2019

The cost and time data is generated by averaging labor and material data from annually updated cost books used by contractors and refined by the authors' experience remodeling 13 houses. They are authors of 20 home improvement books and Do It Yourself or Not, a weekly column syndicated by Tribune Content Agency. The national cost can be adjusted by ZIP Code.