Tin ceiling panels add a formal look to any interior room. These square-shaped tiles are easy to install and can be left the natural shiny tin color or painted. Although tin tiles are fairly durable, they can become dented during the installation process or if heavy items bump them, such as when moving furniture. In these cases, you can purchase a new tin tile to replace the damaged one, or you can fix the damaged area for less money.
Instructions
1. Sand the surface of the damaged tin panel with 80-grit sandpaper to roughen it up. This will help the patch create a stronger bond to the panel. If you don't roughen the surface, the patch will eventually loosen and fall off.
2. Open a tub of auto body filler. Mix the contents thoroughly with a putty knife.
3. Scoop up 1 to 2 tbsp. of onto the putty knife and apply it in a thick layer onto the damaged tin panel. Scrape the flat edge of the putty knife over the surface to remove excess body filler. If the tin panel has a raised design, such as a border, apply the filler thick enough so that it is flush with the raised design. Allow the auto body filler to dry for approximately five minutes.
4. Insert a wood-carving tool into the filler and carve away the filler to create a design that matches the raised design. Try to be as accurate as possible. If the tin panel does not have a raised design, skip this step.
5. Sand down the outer edges of the filler once it is completely dry so that they blend seamlessly into the surrounding areas.
6. Paint the ceiling panels with the desired paint color and a paintbrush to cover the repair.
Tags: body filler, raised design, auto body, auto body filler, putty knife, ceiling panels, damaged panel
