Painting Ceilings

Painting Ceilings

Painting a ceiling presents a slightly different challenge than painting a wall. That's because you're constantly working overhead -- actually, upside down. Aside from some resulting perceptual differences that might take a little getting used to, ceilings will put different physical stresses on your body too. Painting ceilings can quickly tire neck, back, and arm muscles. Stay as relaxed as you can and stop for a moment as soon as something starts aching. Pushing through this period will only quicken your fatigue, and if you take short stops, you'll get used to the work faster.

Use a 4- to 6-foot extension pole on your roller and keep the roller head working out in front of you, not directly overhead. You'll find that position more comfortable and you won't get spattered as much. When the handle starts to approach vertical, step back so the work is in front of you.

When you're done write the paint color, the room, and the date you painted it on the back of a switchplate with an indelible marker. That will save the information if you need to touch up the surface in the future.

Prestart Checklist

Time
From 2 to 3 hours to paint a properly prepared 10x12-foot ceiling

Tools
Paintbrushes, roller, extension handle, ladder, paint buckets, safety gear

Skills
Painting with brushes and rollers

Prep
Clean surface, repair holes and cracks, sand glossy paint, remove dust

Materials
High-quality interior latex paint

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Hiding the previous colors

Nothing looks better than a top coat that completely hides the previous colors on the wall. Using a high-quality paint is the best way to ensure complete hiding. Sometimes a high-quality paint can even do such an adequate job of hiding that you won't need a second coat. There are other factors that affect the hiding ability of paint.

-- Look on the label for the paint's "spread rate" -- the area 1 gallon will cover. This is the manufacturer's recommendation; usually the paint will cover a little less. Don't push the paint to achieve the manufacturer's spread rate, and never exceed it.
-- Use colors, such as earth tones, browns, tans, and red tints, that have a natural tendency to hide better. Applying a light-color paint on a dark-color surface will decrease hiding. You'll get the best results with a color that is not completely different from the one already on the surface.

Step 1

If the walls and ceiling will be painted different colors, use 2-inch painter's tape to mask off the wall at the top where it meets the ceiling. This will keep the ceiling paint from getting on the wall when you cut in the edge of the ceiling. To protect the entire wall from spatters, slide a plastic sheet under the bottom edge of the tape, press the tape to the sheet, and let the sheet drape down across the wall. If the walls and ceiling will be painted the same color, you can omit this step.

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Making the sheen consistent

A consistent sheen across a drywalled surface will greatly improve the appearance of your work. Accomplishing this will depend on both proper preparation and application.

Feather out drywall joints so they are level with the surrounding surface. Compound that forms a raised joint will, when painted, reflect light differently than the rest of the wall, causing it to appear prominent. Sand the joints smooth with fine-grit sandpaper and look for flaws by viewing the surface at a low angle with good illumination.

Apply a PVA latex drywall primer or a latex stain-blocking primer at a sufficiently low spread rate, as recommended by the manufacturer. When you apply the top coat, do so at or below the manufacturer's recommended spread rate -- an adequately thick film is re-quired for a uniform sheen.

If you're rolling the paint, use a quality synthetic roller cover. It will put paint on more heavily and evenly than an economy roller. Keep your roller strokes as vertical as possible, avoid applying pressure, and keep the roller reasonably full of paint -- if the roller makes a tearing sound, it means it's dry and you need more paint on it.

When painting with a sprayer, spray the first coat and roll the second coat. As an alternative, spray two coats and immediately back-roll the second coat. Rolling will provide a more uniform appearance, hide flaws more effectively, and allow you to touch up areas without making them noticeable.

Whatever method you use to apply the paint, let the first coat dry adequately (typically 4 hours or more) before applying a second coat. That will eliminate blistering and keep the roller from picking up flecks of the first coat from the surface ("roller picking").

Step 2

Using a 3-inch brush appropriate to the kind of paint you're applying (natural bristles for oil-base paints and synthetic bristles for latex paints), cut in the corners of the ceiling. Apply the paint liberally and brush it smooth. Paint a band about 2 inches wide and 3 to 4 feet long on both legs of a corner. Proceed to step 3 while this band is still wet.

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Step 3

Using a roller equipped with an extension handle, roll the paint on the open corner section of the ceiling, blending it with the edges you just cut in. Proceed across the surface in sections approximately 3x3 feet, alternately cutting in and rolling to a wet edge until you've covered the entire ceiling.

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