by Tod Demuth

Created on: March 12, 2007   Last Updated: April 18, 2007

Painting ceilings is one of the challenges of painting - not because it is difficult, but keeping it organized so you don't make a mess any bigger than you need to make, and you don't spend too much time. Whether you spray paint the ceiling or roll the paint on with a roller, organization is the key. The problem with spraying is the many, many ladder moves or the setup of scaffolding, then there's the mess of spraying paint exactly where you want it. For home improvement, using a roller is probably the quickest and easiest method of painting ceilings. Like all painting projects, it can be put into three easy steps: Preparation, Execution and cleanup.

Preparation.

If you're painting walls, too, then paint the ceiling first. That way drips aren't a concern and it's easier to cut in at the top of wall than along the edge of the ceiling.

First, remove all the fixtures as best you can - lights, fire alarms, swag lamp hooks, etc. If you cannot remove some of the casings, simply take a paper or plastic bag, cut it to size and tape it off. That will help keep paint off of them as you roll out the ceiling.

Next, cover the floor with a tarp. I like to cover the running boards with it as it will help in stray paint hitting them. You can also cover the tops and ledges of windows if you're concerned with paint hitting them.

Finally get all your tools together. You'll need a roller with an extension. I like to use a broom handle as it's not heavy and I already have one - one less thing I have to buy. If your ceiling is textured, you'll want to consider a thicker knap on your roller, probably at least 1/2 to 3/4 inch. Paint will get into the texturing much better that way. I also carry a damp rag so I can wipe up any drips that hit something I don't want paint on...like the kids or the dog, or the chair rail, etc.

Now some people like to use a tray to pour paint in - I like to use a 3 gallon bucket with a paint grate. It's easier to move around the room, it's smaller and I don't tend to step in it as I paint.

Execution

This is the easy part. I like to start at the far side of the room and work my way to the door. I find flat latex paint is the most forgiving for painting, period as it is very forgiving for shiners and lap marks. Just rememember to keep a wet edge is you paint with semi-gloss or high gloss paint. I find flat paints look better on ceilings anyway.

Cleanup

This is the easy part. If you need to do any touchup, now's the time. For cleanup I usually start by hauling out all the tools and paint out of the room and clean as needed; however the neat part is how to get that tarp out. I fold the corners to the center of the tarp, which usually creates four new corners. I take those four corners and fold them to the center, then begin folding the tarp down so I can get it out the door. This way all the gunk and trash is trapped in the tarp.

In a nutshell, the biggest part of any paint project is preparation. Once everything is covered, the rest is goes very quickly.

Learn more about this author, Tod Demuth.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.