Ceiling: The Heaven of Every Paint Project

The Right Paint

You can use any interior paint on a ceiling, but paints specifically formulated as “ceiling paints” are thicker and contain ingredients known as “rheology modifiers” which reduce paint spatter — the tiny specks of paint that fly off rollers and brushes.

If you are repainting a white ceiling with white paint consider one of the new easy
eye “magic paints.” Many paint companies produce white ceiling paints that go on blue, violet, or pink to show missed areas when wet, but dry to white within two hours.

The Ceiling Color

Traditionally ceilings are painted a high sheen of white to increase light reflection. However, by painting the ceiling a “real” color the perception of the whole room can be altered.

To visually lower a ceiling that feels too high (in relationship to the size of the room) choose a color or tone that is slightly darker than the walls. To further lower the ceiling, paint the top section of the walls the same color as the ceiling.

To make a ceiling seem higher, paint it in a lighter color or tone than the walls. Increase the height effect by painting the walls up to the ceiling eliminating color differences for such details as plate rails and molding.

How Much Paint?

Multiply the length of the ceiling times its width to find its area. If you are painting a smooth ceiling divide the area by 350 the estimated square footage covered by a gallon of paint on a smooth surface. If you are painting over a rough surface or a popcorn ceiling divide the area by 200 to estimate how many gallons of paint to buy. Allow extra paint for a cathedral or domed ceiling. Use the same gallon figure to determine the amount of primer to use.

Preparation

Remove curtains, fixtures, and furniture. Cover rugs with canvas tarps. Wash off grime with a solution of detergent and water. Rinse thoroughly and allow to dry. Dust, smoke, and grease accumulate on ceilings.

Use a putty knife to fill in holes and cracks with spackling or acrylic caulk. Smooth and feather the caulk as it is applied. Spackling should be sanded smooth after it is dry.

Prime the surface with an oil or latex based strain-blocking primer if it has been repaired or if it has discoloration from water or smoke stains.

Applying the Paint

While using an 8” or 9” roller on an extension pole that can speed the project and keep you off of a ladder you will still need a 2” or 3” brush to cut in a strip of paint on the ceiling where the wall and ceiling meet. A common error is to cut-in the entire edge of the ceiling than to begin painting the center. To avoid the visible line that appears from painting into a dry edge, start at the narrowest part of the ceiling on the window side of the room and cut in no more than a 2’ length to roll sections about 2 ft sq.

Roll the paint with series of diagonal rolls like the letter “M.” Fill in the unpainted areas by cross rolling. Apply the paint liberally in one cross direction.

Rolling a rough ceiling like a popcorn ceiling will go faster with a roller cover with a 3/4” nap. A roller cover with a 1/2” pile is good for covering smooth ceiling surfaces.

Better than using a flimsy roller tray is to retrofit a clean empty 5-gal paint pail with a “roller grid” a simple wire ramp that attaches to the bucket rim and is used to roll excess paint off the roller. Pour about a 1/2 gal of paint into the bucket, dip in the roller so that the paint doesn’t rise above the nap of the roller. Distribute the paint evenly on the roller by rolling it over the grid before applying it to the ceiling.

If you want to brush the entire ceiling, a large flat brush 6” to 8” wide makes the project go faster. Brush “wet-to-dry” — paint in short stokes from the wet edge to the unpainted area. Then brush back into the recently painted area for a smooth finish.

The Ceiling the Beginning of Every Project

Because painting projects begin with the ceiling and follow with the walls and conclude with the trim, it is a good idea to paint the ceiling, wait a day to check for areas that need touch-up or a second coat before painting other parts of the room.