How to Paint a Ceiling Area

One of the most prominent surfaces is the ceiling area, surely when nearby windows emit light across its surface to help illuminate the room. To get it painted:

1) Choose a quality ceiling paint. Pre-packaged ceiling whites have a minimal amount of black/dark tint that helps provide adequate coverage. While dulling the stark 'whiteness' effect, they should also provide an appropriate sheen level. Straight white paints are applied to ceilings everyday but these do have a tendency to require added coats.

2) Prepare the surface; any holes must first be patched to match the surrounding surface texture. Prime any water stains with an adequate oil-based sealer to prevent the stain from bleeding through. Normally the ceiling is painted prior to the walls, which enables sharper lines to be cut with the brush. Patches should be addressed by way of ceiling repair as well as ceiling corner repair.

3) Mask off any ceiling light fixtures and vent covers. If the ceiling is to be painted by itself, and the walls below are to be maintained, it is usually best to mask the walls off with either blue tape or green tape. Test a small area first to make sure the wall paint won't lift when the masking is pulled which is normally associated with glossy paints applied to improperly prepared drywall. 4) Cover all areas to catch any fallen drips with either drop clothes or draped plastic. Lighter plastic is normally best for cleanliness over furniture.

5) Box the expected paint together into a 5 gallon paint pail to ensure consistency (keeping debatable cans and lids clean for possible store returns - although it is best to have future touch up from the same lot numbers).

6) Cut-in the perimeter with a nylon sash brush with the latex paint, and around any border areas that cannot be rolled. Any 'wettest' overlap made between trimming and rolling should dry off to match the rest, given a little extra time to do so.

7) Roll the entire surface with a roller on an extension pole, using a 1/2" woven nap for most new or unpainted ceilings. You'll notice that the nap will begin to get matted as you progress. Rolling from either a 4' wooden pole or a longer, extendable pole for ceilings higher than 8 foot tall.

A note on patterns: as a rule, rolling the paint at a right angle to the way the light enters through a wall window helps to hide roller marks. At the same time, alternating the direction with multiple coats will combine to give better coverage.