It's Easy To Paint Your Ceiling, And Avoid Disasters, With A Few Simple Tips!

Most people shudder at the idea of painting a ceiling. It’s not a job that many people look forward to – the walls are easy enough but when it comes to the ceilings it’s tempting to leave them as they were and hope nobody looks up! Painting ceilings usually involves paint flying everywhere, including in your hair and eyes, but the good news is that with a little care and preparation, it’s not as hard as you might first imagine. Here’s our handy guide to painting hot ceilings without losing your cool!

Choose Your Tools Wisely

Using brushes will cause you nothing but hassle; you need a really high-standard paint roller. Using this will make the job far quicker and simpler, so put the brush down and head to a DIY store to get the right tool for the job, Get one with an extendable handle – it’ll make it much easier to get to all the places you need to get to. Make sure it comes with a paint tray too – and one that has a deep end and a shallow end, just like a swimming pool. This will help you get the right amount of paint on the roller every time.

Preparation is Key

It’s really important to think the job through properly, rather than starting on a whim without carrying out all of the necessary planning first. You’ll need to get all of the furniture out of the room, but if this isn’t possible, put it all in the middle of the room, and cover it with a large dust sheet. You should be able to walk all the way around the edge of the room, and reach into the middle over the furniture, so make sure your paint roller extends far enough. Take down curtains and light fittings, and wipe away dust and dirt from architraves and coving before you start. Tape along the corner where the ceiling meets the walls so that you don’t get any overspill (be sure to use decorators’ tape that won’t tear existing paint off).

Cut In First

Paint along the edge of the walls, around light fittings and in tight corners first. By painting the tricky bits first (before you have run out of patience!) you will make sure that the edges are really neat before you start to move in to the rest of the room. Use small paintbrushes to cut in, rather than rollers, as you will be far more accurate. Then, when all the edges are done, grab the roller and fill in the gaps!

Painting

Continue to paint the rest of the ceiling, making sure your paint tray is always topped up with enough paint. Don’t over-paint the roller as it will just drip off. You will get a feel for what the perfect amount to apply at a time is.
You may need a couple of coats to get the ceiling in prime condition, but this shouldn’t take long (just make sure that you let the first coat dry properly first). A beautifully painted ceiling is well worth the effort so be brave – do it yourself!