Painting Ceilings:

Ceilings, whether you start from bare drywall or an existing texture, can be the most intimidating and difficult section of a home to paint. Having a ceiling properly prepared and painted is essential to ensure the integrity and longevity of the paint finish.

Primer:

Proper primer coverage is essential to ensure that nothing gets through to the drywall. Poor or no primer means that your paint will not properly adhere to the drywall, making it vulnerable to peeling, cracks, stains, and bubbles. If a ceiling currently has water stains, smoke stains, or mold, then a stain-blocking primer is required to make sure those nasty discolorations are eliminated before you apply your new coats of paint. Remember that a stain-blocking primer does not make your ceiling immune to things like leaks, so make sure that whatever caused the stain has been properly dealt with.

Paint:

Ceilings are generally painted a flat white colour. There is plenty of room for variation, and nothing is stopping you from picking whatever colour you want for your home. Generally white will go over the primer in two coats very easily, but this isn’t necessarily true for other colours such as red or yellow which might require more than two coats to ensure a nice solid colour. Trendz Painting works closely with many paint suppliers in the Lower Mainland, and we always have the best paint for the job.

Preparation:

Painting ceilings is 90% prep! Painting upside down is typically very messy work, and you want to make sure all your floors and furnishing are properly protected before starting any painting. To prepare for painting ceilings, Trendz Painting will cover the floor in drop sheets, cover any furnishings with plastic sheets, and cover the walls with plastic sheets. A properly prepared room is completely covered to ensure maximum protection from any errant paint splatters once the rolling begins.

Roller Painting:

Painting ceilings can be a difficult and tedious process, but there are some methods to ensure an even coat with proper coverage. If painting over bare drywall or if there are stains on the ceiling, you will always want to do a proper primer coat first. Begin by cutting along the borders of the ceiling with a brush, to make sure that you will not have to come close to the walls when you begin rolling. Once the cut has been completed, a roller finish can be applied.

It can be physically difficult to paint a large amount of space, especially ceilings, so start in small sections first and continuously move in one direction in an ‘up and down’ motion. Once rolling has begun, try to keep a wet edge where you painted last, this is to ensure you have a uniform coat of paint. The easiest way to maintain a wet edge is to continue painting until the entire ceiling is done, without breaks. If you can’t maintain a wet edge, then ‘feather’ out the paint by creating a soft texture when the roller sleeve begins to run out of paint. This will help to ensure your final finish won’t have any noticeable marks. Drywall absorbs a lot of moisture, so make sure that your roller is consistently full of primer when you are rolling. Once you’ve finished, wait until the primer is completely dry before applying the first coat. Primer cans will always say the proper wait time before another coat can be applied.

Painting with your flat paint is almost identical to the primer coat, except that two coats is required for proper coverage and durability. The final coat is the most important, so it’s important that the paint goes on as evenly as possible using the wet edge method.

Spraying:

 

If preparation is 90% of painting ceilings, then preparation is 99% of spraying ceilings. Spraying ceiling paint instead of rolling is quicker, more gentle to texture, and will leave a smoother finish. Spraying paint is also very messy, and if the area is not properly protected and secured, it can get everywhere you don’t want it. Not every job requires a spray job, but when it does Trendz Painting has a highly experienced team that will make sure you not only get a great spray finish, but that your home is fully protected too!

If you need help with any ceiling and painting projects, contact Trendz Painting for a free, fast, and easy estimate! We are the pros.