DIY Rustic Corrugated METAL Ceiling
Before & After
Exposed Structural Beams
Corrugated Metal Ceiling
Corrugated Metal – 50 shades of Grey
View Transcript
New Corrugated Metal
Aged, not rusted
Rusted Natural
Rusted with touch
Rustic Décor for our basement mancave
(Tetanus optional, not recommended)
The Problem: Started from the bottom now we here, literally. We started from the bottom with paint and built some really cool things but when we looked up an exposed beam, nail ridden, randomly placed fixtureless lightbulb mess of an unfinished basement ceiling still existed. The internet and all those click bait puppy lovin' "top 10" home design tip websites tried to box me in to painting the beams. While I love a good cardboard box, the metaphorical box of options didn't fit the look that I was going for. Worse, I could not fathom a way to create even lighting without sacrificing head space. Our basement has relatively low ceilings and learning how to finish a basement with low ceilings was a challenge.
The Solution: I always loved corrugated metal, especially naturally rusted sheets. We have seen interior corrugated metal walls before but never a corrugated metal interior ceiling. The patina is unique and is a great way to add depth and character. The material is thin and doesn't take up a lot of precious head space. This allows us to maximize the ceiling height and makes for a great game of Pop-A-Shot. Better yet? This ish was cheap and EASY. The hardest part was getting the sheets home and into the basement. We put the entire ceiling up in less than an hour. We hope this rustic basement man cave idea works for you!
Categories and Difficulty
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Alley Cat
I have the street cred and walk the block, but found an alley and acquired some nice things.
A bowl that always seems to have food in it and a warm bundle of blankets tucked in a place that never gets wet.
These humans keep staring at me making weird pst pst sounds. Looking in their window I see all kinds of cool toys to play with.
Corrugated Metal Basement Ceiling.
Tools
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Drill
Corrugated Metal Basement Ceiling.
Materials
Corrugated Metal Basement Ceiling.
Source the Corrugated Metal
First we need to find our corrugated metal for the ceiling. My recommendation? I know, I say this all of the time – Facebook Marketplace! Facebook marketplace is your best bet to find used corrugated metal. Recycling companies will regularly post scrap metal on Facebook for hobbyists and people that need to make small repairs on their roof.
The number of panels that you will need will depend on the square footage of the ceiling that you are designing. Corrugated metal is generally sold 26″ wide and in lengths of 8′, 10′, and 12′.
There is little overlap required between the pieces but you can overlap by more if you would like. Measure out your space and hunt for sheets that fit your need.
This is where you need to make your next design choice. Corrugated metal roofing can come in all sorts of conditions, from bright and shiny to hole ridden rust buckets.
We wanted to put up pieces that were solid (no holes) but had a nice patina. If you want similar, find a listing that has rusted sheets but speak with the seller and make sure that their are no holes or rough edges. Don’t worry too much about how the rust looks, we are going to even out the look in a later step.
You can cut the metal using tin snips – and cut resistant gloves. For real, cut resistant gloves.
Corrugated Metal Basement Ceiling.
Get it Home
Not typically a step that I list, but corrugated metal roofing is long and thin. It makes for a challenging trip home. I would not try to strap this to a roof rack, instead find a friend with a pickup truck or rent an hourly truck from the home depot. Corrugated metal can be extremely sharp and those cuts sting so pack your cut resistant gloves for the trip.
A pickup truck bed will likely be too short and so the panels will stick out. I highly recommend using some straps to hold them down. If you want to be extra careful, stick scrap cardboard between the panels and the straps. This will reduce the risk that the friction on the sharp metal causes any tears.
The pickup truck’s rust is not the type of rust we are looking for.
Corrugated Metal Basement Ceiling.
Spread The Rust
Keep the kitties away for this one.
Put on your latex gloves and grab some rags and or a brush. Working in direct light is helpful but not necessary.
Warning: The rust will kill grass. If you are not comfortable with this then be sure to take care of this step in a driveway or some other open space. I killed a good section of my yard, but this project was completed in the middle of summer – the grass all grew back within a week or so.
Working on panel at a time, pour water on the metal and rub the panel with a towel or brush. The rust coloring should start to spread around. If you are working in the sun then you can see the result pretty quickly.
If the color isn’t moving around, try using hotter or even slightly soapy water. A section shouldn’t take more than a few minutes to complete.
If the drying process is taking too long, keep a separate pile of dry towels to rub the sheets clean. Avoid using thin materials (like paper towels) as they will rip and get stuck in the corrugated metal.
Be careful! Corrugated metal can have extremely sharp edges. If you are concerned, put your latex gloves on and then put the cut resistant gloves over them. I strongly reccommend using latex gloves at a minimum, you don’t want rust residue getting into any tiny cuts on your hands.
Natural Rust
Rust touch up
Corrugated Metal Basement Ceiling.
Hanging The Corrugated Metal
This was so easy it should be illegal.
Using metal roofing screws and a wonderful assistant, drill the screws into the wood support beams (use those cut resistant gloves). If you pay attention to the video, you can see that I have all of the screws lined up which takes away the guesswork on finding the support beams.
Beams should have a slight overlap and in my opinion you should line your overlaps up and make sure that they all go in the same direction. This is aesthetically pleasing and will help keep the installation organized.
Corrugated Metal Basement Ceiling.
Hang Lighting
Rusted metal roofing is a pretty unique look, traditional lighting may not fit the design. There are a number of ways that you can go with this.
I wanted even lighting throughout the arcade, I also wanted to give the arcade a look that really separated it from the rest of the house. My solution? Govvee outdoor patio lights. These are regularly priced at $99 but at the time of this write-up they were on sale for $75 when you clip the coupon on Amazon (https://amzn.to/3ZnXXJb).
To hang these lights, I used small hooks. My shortcut was to use the drills chuck to hold the hook while I drilled it directly into the corrugated metal. It worked for me but a smart alternative would be to use a drill bit and then screw the hooks in. They work perfect and hold the lights well.
Corrugated Metal Basement Ceiling.
Step Back, Grab a Drink and Enjoy
Step Back, grab a drink and Enjoy
Congratulations Catskateer, you completed the metal corrugated roof project. We think the barn style roofing gives the arcade a truly special and unique look.
We would love to see your finished project (seriously, for real, stop being shy). Send pics to TheCraftyCatsman@gmail.com!
Next Up.
Let’s Continue the DIY Arcade Bar
Click Below to access my free series on how we converted an unfinished portion of our basement into a speakeasy bar arcade. All for less than the cost of what a contractor was going to charge to put up the studs!
Next Up: How to Paint a Concrete Basement Floor – The Easy Way
Click the picture above to learn how I built a bar light from a scrap piece of a barn beam.