How to Paint Sloped Ceilings

Painting

A sloped ceiling is an architectural feature that adds interest to a room. Instead of overwhelming the eye with too much color or pattern, choose a simple light to medium paint color for both the walls and the sloped ceiling. There is no need to use paint to draw attention to something that will be noticed anyway. The eye can then appreciate the simple architecture and other features such as woodwork can also be noticed and admired as well.

Things You'll Need

• Dish soap and water
• Bucket
• Clean rags
• Wall putty
• Putty knife
• Fine sandpaper
• Light to medium latex paint
• Paint roller/roller pan/extension
• 2-inch cutting brush
• Step ladder
• Plastic tarp

Instructions

1. Determine how much paint to purchase. Measure the dimensions of the area to be painted to make a rough estimate of the area you will be painting. Most latex paints cover 400 square feet per gallon. Divide your estimated surface area by 400 to find out how many gallons you will need for each coat of paint.

2. Prepare the ceiling surface by washing it lightly with plain dish soap and water. Allow it to dry completely. Fill in any holes or cracks and sand down the rough fill patches. Wipe the wall clean of any dust.

3. Lay out the plastic tarp to cover the entire floor area under the ceiling.

4. Use the cutting brush to paint the edges of the ceiling while standing on the step ladder. Load about an inch of paint onto the bristles. Start painting at the top of the slope and press the brush against the ceiling so that the bristles are flexed. Use the edge of the bristles to paint a smooth line at the edge of the slope.

5. Repeat step 4 to cut in all of the edges of the slope of the ceiling and the actual flat part of the ceiling.

6. Use the cutting brush to carefully edge around any light fixtures attached to the ceiling.

7. Switch to the paint roller. Attach the extension to the end of the roller if necessary. Load the paint roller with paint from the roller pan. Begin to fill in the large areas between the cut-in borders. Start in one corner and begin to apply the paint with the roller, working in small 2-foot-square sections to make sure that the paint does not dry along the edges before you have a chance to blend them with the roller. Work in this fashion across the entire sloped area and the flat area of the ceiling.

8. Allow the paint to dry completely and add another coat if desired by repeating steps 4 through 7.

9. Wash your equipment with dish soap and water and properly cover any leftover paint when finished painting.

Tips & Warnings

• If painting around light fixtures is too difficult, consider disconnecting the electricity to the fixture and removing it temporarily so that you can easily paint around the area where the fixture is installed.

References

• How to Paint Sloped Ceilings