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Tin ceilings are making a comeback these days, about 100 years after their widespread popularity at the turn of the twentieth century. Many of the patterns available today are exact reproductions of original designs. These panels can be installed directly on the surface of a flat ceiling, if 3/8 in-thick plywood is installed first. But if the ceiling isn’t flat, or if it’s dam aged, install furring strips and shim them until they are flat. Then attach the tiles to the furring.

Step 1. Begin by snapping a level chalk line on the walls that is low enough to clear any dips in the ceiling. Install the first furring strip next to the wall by nailing it into every ceiling joist using 16d nails. Use small scrap blocks or cedar shingles to shim down the strip until it meets the chalk line (inset).

Step 2. Once the furring strips are installed around the perimeter of the room, use them to align the strips in the middle of the room. Hold a 4-ft. level on a perimeter strip; then measure how much an interior strip has to be shimmed. Slide the shimming shingles under the furring strip; then nail the strip in place.