DIY Network

DIY Basics: Pro Tips for Painting a Ceiling From "Ask DIY Home Improvement" episode DADH-111

Painting a ceiling can be tricky and tedious. Some special tools and the right techniques will make the job go more smoothly.

Painting a ceiling may seem overwhelming if you've never done it before. And often it's hard to see what you're doing since you may be putting white paint over existing white paint. Home-improvement expert James Young shows some tricks and products the pros use to save time and hassle, and take some of the guesswork out when painting a ceiling.

Materials:

Paint-roller with extension handle
Paintbrushes
Paint
Primer
Ladder
Drop-cloths
Quick-release blue painter's tape

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• For our demonstration, we painted a room in a soft-taupe color to help give the room a smaller, warmer feel.

• Make sure that you have all the painting supplies you need including -- especially when you're painting a ceiling -- a paint-roller with a long extension handle (figure A). It's much easier and less tiring to paint a ceiling while standing on the floor rather than on a ladder.

• When painting e textured ceiling, be sure to use a thick-nap roller (figure B) to ensure that you get full coverage over the bumps and irregularities in the textured surface. For a smooth, drywall ceiling, you can use a roller with a smooth or shorter nap.

  Figure A

  Figure B

  
  

  	Figure C
  	Figure D
  	Figure E

• To prep the room, remove all of the furniture if possible before you begin painting. Use drop-cloths and/or newspaper to protect the floors and any furniture that you must leave in the room. James recommends canvas drop-cloths (figure C). Though they're slightly more expensive, they tend to work better and are reusable.

• Use quick-release painter's tape (figure D) to mask around trim and the area of the wall where it meets the ceiling. In our case, we didn't need to use tape since we also painted the walls, and were painting the ceiling and walls in the same color.

• It's advisable to prime your ceiling before painting using a primer with stain-blocker (figure E). Priming the ceiling or walls before painting should ensure that one coat of paint will be sufficient.
  

  	Figure F
  	Figure G
  	Figure H

• Begin by painting a cut-in line on the ceiling (figure F). This is a 2 to 3-inch strip where the ceiling meets the wall. Start in the corner of the shortest length of the ceiling. For this part of the job, you will need a paintbrush and stepladder.

• While the cut-in line is still wet, begin painting the ceiling using the roller (figure G). Doing this while the cut-in line is still wet to prevent a visible line.

• The proper technique for painting with a paint-roller is as follows:
  
  • Dip your roller in the paint in the deep portion of the paint tray.
    
  • Roll it back and forth in the shallow end of the tray to squeeze out excess paint and ensure even
  • coverage on the roller.
    
  • Use the roller to make a zig-zag pattern on the ceiling.
    
  • Go over the zig-zag pattern with straight strokes to even out the paint.
    
  • Once the paint has dried, you may want to go back and apply a second coat, starting with the cut-in line
  • and finishing with the roller.

• Pro-Techniques Tip: In older homes, often the ceiling doesn't line up with the walls at a perfect 90-degree angle. This may make the paint-lines look uneven, especially if you're painting the ceiling a different color from the walls. To conceal the imperfection, use the wall-color paint to paint a strip about 1/4-inch wide along the ceiling it meets the wall (figure H). Continue the strip-line around the perimeter of the room. The small, straight strip of wall-color paint on the ceiling will give the illusion that the walls and ceiling line up straight.
  
  
• Cool-Products Tip: A paint product known as Simply Magic© helps take the guesswork out of painting a ceiling when you're painting white-on-white. Essentially, it goes on blue but dries white. Here's how it works: a blue dye additive is poured and stirred into the paint before it's applied (figure I). The additive gives the paint a bluish tinge, making it easy to see as you're applying it over the existing white paint. As the paint dries, the bluish tinge disappears leaving behind the fresh coat of white paint.

• Cool-Tools Tip: A paint-roller with a guard (figure J) can be your best friend when you're painting a ceiling. It allows you to paint overhead with a roller without splattering paint onto your clothes, furniture and floor.

  Figure I

  Figure J

  
  

Recap: Painting a Ceiling

• Use drop-cloths to protect your furniture and floors.
  
• Begin with a cut-in strip at the edges of the ceiling.
  
• Use a quality roller with extension handle to paint the rest of the ceiling.