If you have a home with high ceilings, painting the ceiling can be an important and fun home improvement project. Not only does it add a touch of character and style to the room, but it also brightens up the entire space.
You can paint the ceiling to match the walls, or you can choose a different color. Regardless of what you decide to do, it is always a good idea to use high-quality paint for your ceiling. cheap paints can often streak and drip, so it is a good idea to pick one that will last for a long time.
The best paint to use for a ceiling is flat, latex paint that doesn’t yellow or drip. This type of paint covers old painted ceilings and can be applied over existing wallpaper or paint in one coat.
Prep the Surface
Before painting, make sure to remove all furniture and other items from the room to prevent them from getting painted over. This will help you to avoid messes and make cleaning up the area easier. You can also cover hanging light fixtures with large canvas drop cloths, so that the ceiling paint doesn’t drip down onto your furniture.
Selecting the Right Color
If you want to create a warm or cool effect in your room, the ceiling is a great place to play with color. White ceiling paint is the most common choice, but you can also choose from a wide range of colors to fit your design scheme.
Try a shade that is similar to the paint color you’ve chosen on the commercial ceiling paint walls, or go bold with an off-white or a light gray. The right ceiling paint will brighten the room and give it a polished appearance without overwhelming the rest of the space.
Stretch Your Body
Before you start a ceiling painting job, be sure to stretch out your neck and arms. This will reduce the strain on your neck and arm muscles, which are likely to be tired after a long day of work.
Cut in Before Rolling
To start painting the ceiling, first “cut in” a section of about 10 linear feet. This will allow you to cover most of the brush marks that will be left on the ceiling, and it’ll also help to blend the edges more smoothly once you roll.
Once you’ve covered this area, begin rolling the ceiling in overlapping rows, slightly varying your direction of rolling as you go. Do not roll directly over your head, as the overlaps may show.
Continue to apply the paint, alternating between cutting in and rolling until you have completed the entire ceiling. When you’re finished, wipe any stray drops of paint off with a damp rag or towel.
Using a roller is the easiest way to apply paint to the ceiling. It helps to paint quickly and evenly, which allows you to finish your ceiling paint job in a shorter amount of time than it would take to do the same painting with a brush.