How to Paint a Ceiling With a Roller

Soft paint roller for applying ceiling paint.

Applying a coat of paint to the ceilings in a home every few years keeps the rooms looking fresh and clean. Using a paint roller on an extension pole is the easiest method for painting a ceiling and eliminates the need for a ladder. Taking adequate steps to prepare for painting and applying paint to the ceiling in sections ensures a thorough, proper paint application, rivaling the work of a professional painter.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Plastic drop cloths
• Fabric drop cloths
• Painter's tape
• Newspaper
• Can of ceiling paint
• Painter's key
• Stirring stick
• Angled paint brush
• Paint tray
• Tray liner
• Lambswool roller cover
• Paint roller
• Extension pole

1. Lay plastic drop cloths over furniture and place fabric drop cloths over the floor to protect from paint splatters. Line the face of window casings and window sills with painter's tape. Wrap mounting medallions on light fixtures with painter's tape. Tape pieces of newspaper over the tops of light fixtures and secure in place with tape.

2. Open a can of ceiling paint using a painter's key to pry the lid free. Stir the paint thoroughly with a stirring stick to evenly combine pigments and liquids. Dip an angled paint brush into the paint to coat the first 1/2 inch of the bristles. Hold the angled edge of the brush towards the seam where the ceiling meets the wall and paint a strip of the ceiling equal to the width of the paint brush. Repeat around the entire perimeter of the room and around any ceiling fixtures.

3. Place a tray liner in a paint tray and fill 1/3 of the way with paint. Slide a roller cover onto a paint roller and screw an extension pole into the handle of the roller. Dip the roller in paint and roll back and forth along the textured portion of the tray liner to evenly coat the roller with paint.

4. Beginning in one corner of the room, roll paint onto the ceiling in a 3-foot square area, holding the extension pole at a 45-degree angle to the ceiling and moving the roller slowly to prevent splattering. Overlap the painted strip that was applied with the brush. Re-wet the roller with paint as necessary to provide even coverage. Repeat the rolling process around the room, overlapping the edges of each 3-foot square area with the last.

Tips & Warnings

• Select a 1/2 inch nap roller cover for smooth ceilings, or a 3/4 inch nap roller cover for textured ceilings.

• Wear eye protection when painting ceilings.

References

• House Painting Info: Ceiling Painting: Before the Walls the First Step is Ceiling Painting