If you’re thinking about taking on the odd job of painting your ceiling, then you’ve come to the right place. For starters, it’s something a beginner can do with ease, so don’t worry. It shouldn’t take you longer than a day. However, that depends on the size of your home/room.
Read on to find out 5 handy tips that will help you paint your ceiling like a boss. So here goes…
Prep The Room
Like with any painting job, before you begin, you need to prep the room to ensure the entire process is free of any hiccups. Here are a few things you need to do in order to prime the room:
- Remove all the furniture from the room (if possible) in order to avoid any splatters on what might be a priceless heirloom passed on over generations.
- Ensure you remove all dust and grime from the ceiling before you get started. Remember, the paint will stick poorly to a dusty ceiling.
- Check the ceiling for cracks and holes and fill them in if you find any.
- Make sure you remove all the ceiling fitting such as light fixtures and smoke detectors. Place all hardware in plastic bags and set aside.
Protect All Surfaces
The last thing you want to do while painting your ceiling is damage your walls, doors or windows. Here are a few things you should do in order to ensure all your surfaces are protected:
- If you’re painting your ceiling after you’ve finished your walls, you must hang drop cloths in order to protect all the vertical surfaces. Apply the same principal to your doors and windows too and throw in some painter’s tape too to ensure they stay in place.
- Cover the floor and furniture (that’s too big to move) by putting down drop cloths.
- If you’re only painting a room’s ceiling, cover the top of the walls using a 2-inch painter’s tape to make sure the walls are free of any roller marks.
Prime the Ceiling and Paint the Edges
Before you get down to painting, use a roller to prime your ceiling with a coat of latex paint primer. This will help cover any stains that your ceiling may have. Here are a few things to keep in mind when applying primer:
- Allow the primer to dry completely as per the instructions
- Before you start using the roller to apply paint all across the ceiling, use a paintbrush to paint the edges where the ceiling meets the wall. Doing this will ensure the paint will cover areas the roller may miss.
- You should then cut in edges of the ceiling using an angled brush and primer. Then proceed to roll on the rest of the primer and leave it until it dries completely.
Paint in Sections Using a Roller
The best way to paint a ceiling is to use a paint roller and work in 3-foot by 3-foot sections (basically, so its small enough for you to be able to keep a track of what you’ve painted). Here are a few pointers that will help you during this stage of the process:
- To prevent permanent roller marks, start each new section by overlapping onto the wet edges of the preceding section
- Painting over wet edges helps to seamlessly blend sections
- Use the paint tray to load the roller with paint and roll slowly with smooth strokes.
- Slightly vary the direction of your rolling, as a perfectly straight roll may show overlap marks.
- Continue applying paint, rolling out and blending with the cut-in edge and the previous section until the ceiling is complete.
- For smooth ceilings, use a low nap roller. For a textured ceiling, use a roller with a 1/2-inch or 3/4-inch nap.
Apply a Second Coat if Needed
If you’re painting your ceiling a bright colour, a second coat may be necessary. Here’s what you need to keep in mind:
- Allow the paint to fully dry before you start applying the second coat.
- Always apply the second coat in one direction, quickly until the entire surface is covered.
- Begin cleaning up only once all the painting work is finished.
- Take your rollers, brushes and all other supplies and dump them into a large tub for washing.
- Remove all painter’s tape when the paint is dry to the touch.
- Reattach all the light fixtures
That was everything you need to know about painting your ceiling in case you’re feeling brave. However, if you’d like this professionally done AapkaPainter is always here to help you. All you need to do is pick up your phone and give us a call to book a free consultation to get started.