Did you know that Michelangelo spent nearly 4 years flat on his back painting the Sistine Chapel ceiling? You may not be painting intricate historical figures on your ceiling, but you can still make it a masterpiece with a professional paint job.
A well-painted ceiling will help your room feel spacious, and a flawless finish will make it feel brand new. Whether you opt for a brilliant white to reflect the light or a darker tone for a cozier interior, your ceiling painting skills need to be on point.
Are you ready to tackle your ceiling, but don’t know how to get the best finish? Don’t worry, with our top 5 insider tips we’ve got you covered. Here’s our handy guide for how to paint a ceiling like the pros.
Before You Start
If you’ve decided to paint a ceiling in your house, you’ll need to do a couple of things before you start.
First, cover all vulnerable surfaces like your flooring or any furniture that’s around. Use dust sheets or old plastic bags covered in old bedsheets and towels. Your paintbrush could drip, and your paint roller will spray paint around your room, so catch the drips with old drop cloths before it ruins your floor.
Second, to make for easy cleanup lay newspaper down underneath your paint roller tray. Line the inside of the tray with cling wrap. When you’re done painting, simply peel away the clingwrap and throw it out, leaving you with a nice clean roller tray.
Finally, gather all your tools together in one place. When you’ve got the paint out, it’s easy to get covered in the stuff; don’t transfer it around your house while you hunt down a paintbrush or a pair of scissors. Instead, keep all your tools together in a convenient spot so you can access them as you follow each step of the following process.
1. Clean Away All Dust and Grime
You may not notice it from all the way down here, but your ceiling attracts dust, dirt, and even cooking grease. If you apply paint onto a dirty surface, that dust will stick to your paint and dry into your finished ceiling, ruining the final product. Plus, it will be harder for your paint to stick to the surface, so you might get patchy results.
To start, use a duster or vacuum cleaner to remove the surface dust. Next, clean your ceiling using sugar soap, or a mixture of dish soap and water. It can seem like an unnecessary step, but when it comes to a stunning ceiling, preparation makes perfect.
2. Prepare Your Surfaces with Decorator’s Tape
Speaking of preparation, the next step is to get out the painter’s tape. Painter’s tape is low-tack and won’t pull the paint off your walls when you remove it later.
Use painter’s tape to cover all the outer edges of your ceiling. This will include the top of the walls or the edge of any light fixtures or crown molding edges.
Covering these with painter’s tape will make it much easier when you come to using your roller. You’ll avoid unsightly paint spatters on your light fittings, and you’ll have a crisp and clean edge to meet your walls.
3. Use a Primer to Cover Stains
Have you had a water leak problem in the past? If you have old stains on your ceiling, it may be that they could leak into the paintwork and show through to your newly painted ceilings. Rusty patches and tobacco smoke are culprits, and you’ll need to tackle them with the strong stuff.
To do this, you’ll need to use a primer specially formulated to block stains. Look for specific terms like ‘stain-blocking’ or ‘water sealing’. The primer will serve as a layer between your ceiling and your new paint color, which stops stains and old damage from showing through.
4. Cut in With a Paintbrush
Yes, it does mean extra work but cut in with a paintbrush first and the results will be worth it. Use your paintbrush to apply paint to the entire perimeter edge of your ceiling. You’ll also need to outline any molding or light fittings.
Any brush marks will be covered when you go over these areas with a roller. But it also means that you won’t have to go right to the edge of your ceiling, with the risk of leaving paint roller marks on your walls.
Cutting in also means that you’ll have a clearly outlined space within which to work, so it will be easier to see which areas need painting. Plus, you won’t accidentally run your roller over a recessed light fixture and need to deal with the hassle of clean-up later.
5. Cover Both Directions with Your Roller
One of our favorite tips for painting a ceiling is to cover each area in both directions with your roller. When painting a ceiling, first move your roller vertically, back, and forth, to cover the area. Then, turn your roller 90 degrees and paint over the top of the area horizontally.
These directional movements will make sure any patches from the first roll will even out when painting in the opposite direction. It will remove roller marks and give you a beautiful even coat that will dry faster and leave a flawless finish.
5 Pro Tips for Beautiful Ceiling Painting
If you want a ceiling to be proud of, then you’ll need to arm yourself with the skills to match the job. Arming yourself with the right tools isn’t enough – you need to prepare your surface first to get the best finish when ceiling painting. If you have unsightly stains, cover them with a primer and make them disappear for good.
Cut into the edges with a paintbrush – it’s hard work, but it’ll give you a perfect edge and save your fixtures, fittings, and crown molding. And for the most even coverage, be sure to work your roller in both directions.
Do you want a quality paint job in your home and don’t think your DIY skills will cut it? Then contact us for a free quote today and see how we can help.