SPRAYING AND ROLLER
PAINTING THE CEILINGS
Below you will find detailed how to instructions for process of spraying or roller painting the ceilings in your home.
No matter what kind of ceiling you have (knock down, splatter, popcorn, raw drywall) each type can be painted as long as the proper procedures are followed.
Using a paint sprayer is probably the best way to get your stipple or plaster coated with paint.
Even so, this page is where you will find how to instructions for both spraying along with brushing and roller painting the ceilings.
Before beginning, be sure to follow all local government safety regulations.
Also, check with your local paint supplier regarding the correct tools, products and materials needed for the job at hand.
CEILING PAINTING TOOLS
BRUSHING AND ROLLER PAINTING THE CEILINGS
- Tray & Liner
- Roller and Thick Nappy Roller Cover
- Roller Extension
- 2 1/2" Sash Brush
- Cut Can
- Stain Blocker (If Needed)
- Caulking and Gun (If Needed)
- Hole Filler (If Needed)
- Drywall Tape (If Needed)
- Pliers To Remove Hangers, nails and staples etc(If needed).Plastic Covering (If Needed)
- Painters Tape (1 1/2" wide, If Needed)
- Drop Sheets (Or Old Bed Sheets)
- Stipple or plaster repair (If Needed)
- Wall touch up paint (If Needed)
- Step Ladder (If needed)
- Hat And Old Cloths
SPRAYING THE CEILING
- Paint Sprayer, Tip and Gun
- 2 1/2" Inch Sash Brush
- Cut Can
- Stain Blocker (If Needed)
- Caulking and Gun (If Needed)
- Hole Filler(If needed)
- Drywall Tape (If Needed)
- Pliers To Remove Plant Hangers From Ceiling (If Needed)
- Plastic Covering for walls from floor to
- ceiling (If Needed)
- Drop Sheets (or old bed coverings)
- Painters Tape (1 1/2" wide, If Needed)
- Stipple or plaster repair (If Needed)
- Step Ladder (If needed)
- Hat And Old Cloths
- Respirator
PAINT PRODUCTS
Always try and use a flat sheen, interior paint when possible. Don’t be afraid to try a different color than white when spraying or roller painting the ceilings. Different color ceilings will change the mood of a room. Just keep in mind that the darker you go the darker the room tends to be.
If you have very little experience painting ceilings try the new ceiling paints that change color after being applied. Those who I have spoke to have been happy with these specialized ceiling paints. I don't use them because I'm so use to spraying on the old stuff and don't wish to spend the extra money.
Oil,(alkyd) and other solvent type products work best with ceilings that have never been painted before. Latex, and no odor alkyds are work best if one is spraying.
A primer/sealer is required for raw drywall and there are also a number of stain blockers to chose from for discolored ceilings.
The amount of paint needed depends on the type of ceiling you have and product being used. Talk to your local paint dealer regarding the amount and product needed for the job at hand.
PREPPING FOR PAINTING THE CEILING
Place any furniture, nick knacks and pictures that can be moved into another room. Cover the floors with drop sheets then use the tape and plastic covering to protect areas and furniture that could not be removed from the room.
Item's that cannot be taken away should be placed in the middle of the room and covered to keep them from getting over-sprayed. With the tape in hand, tape the walls (between wall and ceiling) around the room.
If you wish to roll tight to the wall instead of cutting in with a brush use another piece of tape one that slightly overlaps and is below your first round of tape. The width of the tape would need to be wider than the roller cover.
Being tight to the walls when roller painting the ceilings requires practice so if you are not familiar with using a roller then tape once and use the brush along with the can to cut in (edge).
On the other hand if your spraying instead of roller painting the ceiling and your not going to repaint the walls you will have to plastic the walls (bag the room) all the way around the room down to the drop sheets.
To bag the room use small pieces of painters tape to tack the plastic to the wall about 1 inch below the ceiling. Now, go around the room again with wider tape (1 1/2 inch or more). Your wider tape needs to be level with the ceiling and at the same time covering the plastic securing the plastic to the wall where the ceiling and wall meet.
Fill any smaller holes and cracks you see with paint-able caulking. After applying the caulking dab at it with your finger to try and make it look like the finish on the ceiling.
If the ceiling has a stipple look try and make the caulking look the same as the stipple. Re-apply caulk where necessary.
With larger holes or cracks (1/2" or more) you may need to use crack filler, drywall tape and a stipple or plaster repair product. Check with your local home improvement center for advice regarding the project that your doing.
All stains (smoke, water, dirt, grease etc.) on the ceiling will need to have a stain blocker applied to it. No matter if your roller painting the ceiling or spraying it, when an entire ceiling is stained, stain blocker will be required for all of the ceiling area.
Walls that are to be painted do not need protecting with plastic or tape. Even so, whether spraying or rolling try to avoid runs smudges and excess paint on the walls.
If you do end up with sags, marks or runs on the walls from the roller, brush or sprayer, try and quickly smooth them out with a brush. You will then be able to easily cut in over the dried ceiling paint that's on the walls once.
When placing furniture in the center of the room be sure your able to paint around the light fixtures. Insure the floor and furniture is covered along with walls and other item's if spraying also remember that the ceiling fixtures need protecting. With tape and plastic (if needed) start spraying or roller painting the ceiling around the fixture. Once done, move the covered furniture to the middle of the room.
Prior to painting, check for nails, tape and staples that may have been left on the ceiling from last Christmas or little Susie’s birthday party.
Once your ceiling is prepped, fill your tray and cut can with paint or set up your spray system. Proceed onto spraying or roller painting your ceiling.
Use the following links
cutting in,
or
rolling,
along with
using a paint sprayer
for some extra information and how to painting help.
BRUSHING AND ROLLER PAINTING THE CEILINGS
Start by cutting (brushing) around the room in the area between the wall and ceiling where you taped off the walls to protect them. Dip the brush into the cut can (25% full of ceiling paint) then try and brush on the paint. Be sure the paint coats right up to and a couple inches away from the tape that’s on the walls. If the ceiling is quite rough, you may need to ram the paint onto the ceiling with the brush so as to get the coverage you need.
With the two inch wide painted strip cut in around the ceiling, light fixtures and any other items that might need to be cut around, wet your roller in the tray and raise it to the ceiling starting in one corner.
Begin roller painting the ceiling with your paint in a two foot by four foot section. Back roll it in one direction then proceed onto the next section to be done. Always roll into a wet edge (this means move as quick as you can). Keep rolling section by section up to where you cut in with the brush and into the wet edge of the last section you did until the ceiling is done.
In most cases, a second and some cases third coat will be needed to get the best results. Another thing to keep in mind is that for the second coat you might like to roll in the opposite direction as the first (e.g. north to south, let dry, then roll east to west). Doing so should give you the best coverage.
SPRAYING THE CEILINGS
If your not roller painting the ceilings, you may like to get a sprayer ready, cover everything that needs to be covered, then start spraying from the center of the room out. Spray in sections that are comfortable to you (e.g. four foot by six foot), in one direction slightly onto the wall (or plastic covering).
Always spray from wet paint into wet paint, so as to keep the ceiling from flashing. Proceed until the ceiling is completely coated. Spray in the opposite direction (e.g. north to south, let dry, then east to west) to get the best coverage.
PROBLEMS WHEN PAINTING THE CEILINGS
When the textured ceiling in your home has never been painted before and you try roller painting the ceilings using a latex product you may find the stipple (popcorn) begin to crack, fall or attach itself to the roller sleeve.
To try and avoid such problems you will need to use a solvent based product (even the low/no odor stuff stinks).
With that said I have many times in my painting career sprayed latex over unpainted texture with few problems. I did say few so there are no guarantees that your stipple will not come off when using a latex product.
You will need to use some good sticky masking tape to hang your plastic on the walls if your not painting them otherwise the sprayer will blow the plastic off. Sticky means that it will likely pull the wall paint off so be sure you have touch up paint.
I have never seen a case where the stipple has fallen when using an alkyd or alcohol type paint but I have heard of a few.
SUMMARY
Before you begin spraying or roller painting the ceilings be sure that any stains that you may see are not from a water leak, otherwise you will end up having to repaint when it leaks again.
When you cover your lights to spray or paint around them don’t turn the lights on, (use alternate lighting) if you do, you may find the covering has burnt itself to the shade.
The easiest way to paint around a ceiling fan is to remove the blades if you do remove them it’s a good idea not to loose any weights that maybe on them and to try and mark the blades so that they go back in the same place as they where.
If rolling, when you buy your roller sleeve have your paint dealer help decide on the thickness of nap that you will need for the roughness of the surface your painting and product being used.
I myself do not like the foam type sleeves that are made for ceilings. It's usually best to plan on painting the walls after painting the ceilings.
When rolling your ceiling and in some cases spraying them the results may show roller or spray marks. Doing another coat can help the problem though I have found that once you have marks left on the ceiling from painting it's almost imposable to get rid of them.
Talk to your local paint supplier regarding product, tools and rolling or spraying application advice.
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