Do it Yourself Ceiling Painting Tips

Painting the ceiling is not one of the easiest home improvement jobs to take on-it’s messy, difficult and not really much fun, but somebody’s got to do it! Painting the ceiling doesn’t have to be an undefeatable chore, some of the most common mistakes when painting the ceiling are also the most preventable. These do it yourself tips for painting a ceiling can get you on the way to a great looking ceiling without all the fuss.

Ceiling Painting Tip #1

The ceiling is the first item on the room painting agenda. The most common mistake that people make when painting a ceiling is to wait until they have already painted the rest of the room. Just because painting the ceiling is the most difficult task does not mean that it should be put off until last. Painting the ceiling is often a rather messy task and if you’ve already got perfectly painted walls before tackling the ceiling you are leaving yourself wide open to many possible errors. Ceiling paint may drip, run, smudge, or spatter onto the freshly painted walls thus doubling the task and requiring you to touch up the walls again.

Ceiling Painting Tip #2

Trim out the entire ceiling frist and then work on the large open spaces that need paint. What’s trim out? Using a brush or foam trim brush, paint the entire outer edges of the ceiling along the area where ceiling meets wall first. After going all the way around the room in this manner, begin trimming in along any light fixtures that may be on the ceiling. This task takes much longer than painting the large open spaces of the ceiling but missed spots along the ceiling area where it meets the wall are an eyesore so it’s important to take your time and get this part right.

Ceiling Painting Tip #3

The worst thing you can do is expect that painting the ceiling is going to be a clean job! It’s a very messy job, you will get paint on yourself, there will be splatters and if it’s not a messy job then something isn’t being done correctly! Always make sure to place a plastic tarp on the entire floor of the room and tape down along sides with painters tape or masking tape. This way, no matter how messy you get, the floors are fully protected from any spills or spatter. When applying paint to the paint brush or the roller for the ceiling always assure that there is adequate paint. Remember, no dripping or spatter means that you probably didn’t get enough paint on the brush or roller for the ceiling and you’ll likely have spots that lack paint and must be repainted.

Ceiling Painting Tip #4

Most homeowners do not paint the ceiling often. In fact, many people may change the color of the paint in their rooms 3-4 times before actually repainting the ceiling. Dirt, debris, water or moisture can all change the texture and color of the ceiling over time. For this reason, it’s important to apply a coat of primer on the ceiling before actually painting the ceiling with the final color coat. Primer will prevent any flaws from showing through once the final coat of paint is applied to the ceiling.

Ceiling Painting Tip #5

A dirty ceiling can ruin a paint job before it even starts. Depending on the type of texture or finish that the ceiling has and on the type of architectural design that may be on the ceiling, dirt and debris can build up in some pretty inconspicuous areas and can cause headaches when painting the ceiling. Paint and primer will not be applied smoothly and may not even stick in some places if the ceiling is dirty thus hindering your beautiful ceiling paint before you even get fully started. Make sure that the ceiling is as clean as possible by wiping it with a damp cloth before priming. Allow the moisture to dry before applying the first or subsequent coats of ceiling paint or primer.