Your Complete Guide to Ceiling Painting
Whenever you’re looking to change the appearance of a room in your home, it’s essential to think about the space you’re painting in its entirety. This means painting every inch of the specified room, including the ceiling.
Painting the ceiling can add depth to a room that otherwise would seem small or congested without a fresh coat of paint. We understand the idea of ceiling painting might seem challenging, but it’s quite easy.
With the help of our guide, you’re going to be painting your ceiling like a pro in no time.
Gather Your Materials
Before you break open the paint cans, the first thing you need to do is gather your materials. The last thing you want to do is begin the project and realize you’re missing a vital tool to the entire project.
Some of the materials you’ll need include:
- Sherwin Williams ceiling paint
- Ladder or stepladder
- Cleaning soap
- Drop cloth
- Painters tape
- Paint roller
- Cut in paintbrush
These are just a few of the items we suggest purchasing. Not only will these materials be used when you begin painting, but they’ll also help to protect your floors and walls as you begin your bathroom ceiling paint project.
After collecting your supplies, don’t forget to clear the entire room before you lay your drop cloth. Clearing the room of existing furniture or removable fixtures will make it easy to navigate the room as you move through the project.
If there are larger pieces of furniture that you find too challenging to move, ensure you take the time to cover it with the drop cloth to protect the furniture from paint that might drip.
Grab the Tape
The next step when painting your ceiling is to grab your painter’s tape and apply it to the crown molding and the walls. Depending on the building of the room you’re working in, sometimes it might be easier to remove the molding before you begin painting and replace it after completing the project.
If you only plan to paint the ceiling in the room, you’ll need tape to ensure you don’t accidentally paint the walls or the molding. But, if you intend to redo the entire room, having painter’s tape isn’t as necessary as one might think.
The reason for this is that you’ll end up painting over any mistakes you make when you move on to painting the walls. Whenever you’re painting an entire room, always work from top to bottom, meaning paint your ceiling first before you begin to paint the walls.
Prime Before You Paint
Applying a primer to the surface of your ceiling before you begin the painting process will provide the paint with a surface it can adhere to better. This is helpful if your ceiling isn’t the most suitable surface.
It’s not always necessary to prime the surface of the ceiling or wall before you paint, but it’s something that paint professionals recommend. Using a primer before you begin painting will help the paint you put on top of the primer last longer.
The type of primer you use will also depend on the texture of your ceiling. The primer you choose should fill the spaces in the ceiling and fix any issues or problems your ceiling might have.
Ensure you take some time to inquire about how long you must wait to begin painting after applying the primer. Depending on the brand of paint you’ve purchased, you may be able to start painting immediately, or you’ll need to wait a few hours.
Cut In First
There is a method we recommend using when you’re painting your ceiling. Use the small paintbrush you purchased and cut in around the edges.
This brush is typically cut at an angle to make it easier for you to get paint on the corners of the room without it dripping down the walls or overlapping other colors you might have already painted.
After you’ve cut in around the crown molding of the ceiling, you should then take your roller brush and paint the rest of the ceiling. Now it’s time to prepare your rolling paintbrush to complete the rest of the paint job.
Paint the Rest of the Ceiling
Before using the rolling paintbrush, pour paint into your rolling tray.
The rolling tray has an end with ridges and another that’s deeper. The paint should be poured on the deeper end of the tray.
Roll the paintbrush back and forth lightly in the paint tray. Then, use the ridges on the higher end of the paint tray and remove excess paint.
Raise the rolling paintbrush to the ceiling and create a zigzag type of pattern across the ceiling. After creating the design go back and paint a straight line over the pattern spreading the paint out.
We recommend working in smaller sections to ensure you get the maximum amount of coverage before the best ceiling paint begins to dry. This helps to reduce any lines or visible differences in stroke marks.
Do It Again
The first coat is done, and you think it’s time to start cleaning your painting tools. Wrong.
Before you put your tools away, you need to go over the ceiling again, just in case, there were some spots you missed. After going over the ceiling a second time, you can begin the process of cleaning your paintbrushes with soap and water.
It’s essential to squeeze out the paint in your paintbrushes because if not, your brush will become hard, and you’ll end up needing to purchase new brushes.
Steps to Ceiling Painting 101
When it comes to ceiling painting, there are specific steps you should take to do it properly. From purchasing the right tools to applying a second coat, all these things ensure your ceiling is painted the way you want it to be.
But, if you don’t have the time to do something like this yourself, get a free quote from Industrial Painting USA and let us help you with all your home painting projects.
