Things You'll Need:
- Drop cloths 2-1/2-inch angled paint brush Paint pot Rags Step ladder Roller pan 9-inch roller frame Minimum 3/4-inch roller pad Airless sprayer Plastic Push pins Dust mask Safety glasses
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Step 1
Move as much furniture from the room as possible. Cover the remaining furniture and floors with drop cloths. Use your paint brush to cut in the ceiling to the wall. Cutting in a stippled ceiling can take some time depending on how rough the texture is. Paint out far enough on to the ceiling so that the roller pad can cover the edge of the brush line. If the ceiling has never been painted before, use an interior primer first. The primer will keep the texture from soaking up paint.
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Step 2
Switch to the roller to complete the coat of paint or primer. Fill the roller pad repeatedly while you are painting. The thick roller pads are designed for rough surfaces and will push the paint into the pits in the texture. You can purchase roller pads thicker than 3/4 inch, but it usually is not necessary.
Allow ceiling to dry completely before painting if you primed it. Many interior primers will dry within 2 hours. Apply your cover coat in the same manner that you applied the primer. -
Step 3
Use an airless sprayer in place of brush and rolller, if you prefer. Remove all furniture from the room. Cover the floor entirely with thick plastic drop cloths. Make sure that the entire carpet is covered. Tape drop cloths in place around the edges if necessary. You can purchase rolls of plastic or paper carpet protection.
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Step 4
Use push pins to hang plastic around the entire room. The push pins will hold the plastic in place. Hang the plastic from the top edge of the wall, and let it drape to the floor. An airless sprayer create overspray--a fine dusting of paint that settles and sticks where it lands--so it is very important to cover everything.
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Step 5
Use the airless sprayer to spray primer first, if necessary. Wash out the sprayer before using it to paint if you primed first. The time it takes to prepare a room for painting with a sprayer is longer than it takes to prepare the room for brush and rolling, but the sprayer makes up for the preparation time. You can spray a ceiling in less than 30 minutes.
