Painting ceilings is not the easiest chore for a homeowner to take on as it can be quite challenging. We’ll explain why ceiling painting is not as easy as other interior painting so you can decide if you want to take on the challenge yourself or hire a professional painter.
How to Paint a Ceiling: Getting Started
Painting your ceilings can be a messy process. The first step in painting ceilings is making sure you do not make a mess. Getting all of your furniture and valuables out of the way is very important. Larger furniture can be covered up with tarps or plastic. We recommend using tarps, plastic, or floor paper to cover all of your floors. You might also want to cover up your walls and millwork as paint will drip onto these as well if you are not careful.
The Best Way to Paint a Ceiling: Pro Tips
Now that you have all of your valuables covered or moved out of your work area you need to make sure you have all of the right equipment to paint your ceilings. You may need ladders or scaffolding to paint your ceilings depending on how tall they are. Most homes have ceilings that are 8 or 9 feet tall which can be easily reached with a short ladder. Other homes have vaulted ceilings that can be 20 feet tall or more. Safety is important when painting ceilings so make sure you have the right equipment to reach the high points.
Some ceilings that have heavy texture may need to be sprayed instead of rolled. Using a sprayer can be very messy if you don’t know what you are doing so beware as the paint will go everywhere. Masking off every single surface is critical when spraying your ceiling.
You may need to apply a primer coat to your ceilings before painting them in some cases. Some builders never painted the ceilings when they built your home. If you do not prime these ceilings you will likely not end up with good results. If your ceilings have old water stains, grease stains, or smoke damage they really need a good oil-based primer to seal in the damage otherwise the stains will keep coming back.
We also recommend using a good extension pole with your paint roller when doing ceilings. Many ceilings can be reached from the ground when using an extension. You will still need to get up close when cutting in around lights and walls with a brush. A good quality brush is always important when cutting in good lines so don’t be cheap and spend at least $20 on a good brush.
Should You Paint the Ceiling or Walls First?
We always recommend painting ceilings before walls as it is much easier to cut good lines on your walls after the ceilings are finished. Making straight lines on the ceiling after the walls are done takes much more time and skill.
When to Hire a Ceiling Painter
Most homeowners can handle or figure out how to paint a small bathroom or bedroom ceiling without much trouble. Though, if you don’t have the right equipment, it may be easier to hire a professional to do the job as you can spend hundreds of dollars to get the right tools. Larger or vaulted ceilings are more difficult for homeowners to do themselves so hiring someone may be the best choice.
Professional Ceiling Painting Services with Absolute!
With almost 30 years of experience, Absolute Painting can help you with any ceiling painting project you might have. We always make sure all of your surfaces and valuables are protected and the ceilings are painted the right way so they look great for many, many years!
If you’re in the Portland metro area, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our team. We look forward to hearing from you!
