Estimate How Many Tin Ceiling Tiles Are Needed

Calculating how many tin ceiling tiles you will need.

Tin ceiling tiles provide a classic, elegant look to a room, and are resistant to water spotting and stains. Tin ceiling tiles typically come in 2-by-2 foot squares, although some might be made slightly smaller. When preparing for your project, you must calculate how many tiles you need to purchase. It is generally recommended to purchase a few extra in case if mistakes or unusable end or corner cutouts.

Instructions

1. Measure the length of the room by laying the tape measure from wall-to-wall. The tape measure is marked in feet as well as inches, but record the measurement in all inches. Repeat the measuring procedure for the width.

2. Multiply the two measurements together to get the total square footage. As an example, if you measured 144 inches by 120 inches, you would calculate:

The area is calculating by multiplying the length by the width, so 144 inches times 120 inches equals a total of 17,280 square inches.

3. Include a margin of error by increasing the area measurement by 10 percent. Do this by multiplying the area measurement by 1.1 -- 17,280 square inches times 1.1 equals 19,008 square inches.

4. Decide on the tin ceiling tile you want for the project. From the tile specifications, determine the measurement of the tile. They will likely be measured in inches, such as 24-by-24 inches, but if they list as 2-by-2 feet, multiply each side's measurement of feet by 12 to convert to inches, i.e., two feet times 12 inches/foot equals 24 inches on one side.

Multiply the tile's dimensions together to calculate their area. As an example, if the tiles are 24-by-24 inches, multiply 24 times 24 to get 576 inches.

5. Divide the room's adjusted area by the tile's area to calculate the number of tiles required. In the example:

Number of Tiles Required = Room Adjusted Area divided by Tile Area

Number of Tiles Required = 19,008 square inches divided by 576 square inches

Number of Tiles Required = 33 tiles

This measurement ended evenly. However, if there was a remainder, you would simply round up, since you cannot purchase a fraction of a tile. As an example, if you calculated 33.4 tiles were required, you would actually purchase 34.

Tags: square inches, ceiling tiles, times inches, 24-by-24 inches, area measurement, inches times, measured inches