How to Paint Any Ceiling

Get professional results when you paint any ceiling in your home yourself!

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Drop-cloths and old sheets
• Appropriate sized step-ladder
• 2.5 inch quality paint-brush
• Plastic or Aluminum Bucket with disposable bucket liner/s
• 9 inch 2.5 Nap (Thickness) Roller Cover
• 9 inch roller handle
• Large Rolling pan with disposable liner/s
• Extension pole for Roller Handle
• Flat Latex Ceiling Paint your choice of color

1. Cover It Up: Move as much furniture, area rugs, lamps, nick-nacks etc. out of the room. Cover ALL flooring and carpeting with drop-cloths. Cover any furniture left in area with old sheets or plastic. Chandeliers can be covered with a trash bag BUT DON'T TURN ON THE LIGHT AS THIS COULD CAUSE A FIRE!

2. Stains or Peeling: If there are any stains on ceiling, cover with a stain kill product. Small stains can be covered with a fast drying spray product. Larger stains may require an oil based primer of some sort. New ceilings will need a complete coat of latex primer before painting. Peeling paint should be scraped and then sand down the edges. A bit of spackling or joint compound can be used to repair such areas, just let dry before proceeding.

3. Taping: If your confidence in a fairly steady hand is low, tape under the ceiling line on all walls with a LOW ADHESIVE tape. If you are only painting your ceiling you do not want your walls damaged when you remove the tape. Also tape around any light fixtures or vents where you don't want paint.

4. Cutting: Take your plastic bucket and place the disposable liner inside. No use ruining a good bucket so use the liner, they're cheap. Take a quality 2.5 inch brush and pick a corner to start in. Get some paint on the brush about 2 inches up the bristle. Get rid of excess but leave a good amount on brush and paint the corner out about 6 inches towards your head. Then start working your way down the ceiling line towards your next corner. TIP: Don't try to get right up to the wall, just get some paint on the ceiling and then fill in the gaps like a coloring book. This builds speed and confidence.

5. Rolling: When you are done cutting in all the edges, it is time to break out your roller, roller cover, extension pole, pan and pan liner. Put a good amount of paint in the reservoir portion of the pan liner, leaving the ridged surface clear. The ridged surface is to roll off excess paint before lifting the roller upwards towards the ceiling. The biggest mistake people make is not using enough paint. Again, starting in a corner work your way out using a W pattern, about 3 feet ling and 2 feet wide. Get the paint on the ceiling in the shape of a W and keep going in as uniform a manner as possible. When the W is on the ceiling you have applied the paint for use....now fill it in moving that paint. When that is smooth, go for more paint and repeat. Keep the roller full of paint but not so much that you are dripping. There is a happy medium, you just need to find it.

6. Visuals: You will see lines as you are doing this but these will dry evenly if you are using a quality paint AND you have been smoothing and filling in your W patterns. Unfortunately, like most painting projects, you will likely need a second coat. This one usually goes a bit faster and the latex paint you just applied will usually dry and be ready to second coat in 2 or 3 hours. Many lines will be further smoothed out with the second coat as well.

Tips & Warnings

• While you don't need the most expensive designer paint, use a reputable paint.
• Use a FLAT finish paint as any other finish has reflective qualities not usually desired on a ceiling.
• Take tape off walls as soon as ceiling is completely dry. This helps insure the tape doesn't take paint off of the walls.
• Use ventilation and appropriate eye protection and safety equipment.
• Make sure you have a sturdy ladder.