Be Creative With Your Ceiling
In most cases, very little thought is given to how a room’s ceiling will look and what color it should be when
it’s time to paint. As much love as the walls receive, the ceiling often goes unappreciated. When you do
eventually discuss how the ceiling will look, the chances are you’ll do a basic job and leave it at that.
Don’t be afraid to buck the trend and be bold. You can paint your ceiling with geometric shapes. You can
paint it the same color as the walls or if your walls are white, add vibrant color to the ceiling to give it that
wow factor. Moving away from standard practices and being more adventurous when painting your ceiling
can improve the room’s overall look.
What Comes First, the Ceiling or the Wall?
Once you have decided on the colors, it’s time to determine what you’ll paint first, the ceiling or the wall.
When you paint a ceiling, it’s difficult, if not impossible, to avoid splashing paint on the corresponding walls.
For this reason, always work from top to bottom, and paint the ceiling first before tackling the walls. Doing
it this way will ensure you don’t ruin any freshly painted walls, and any paint that does infringe on them
during the process of painting the ceiling can easily be wiped away.
Is Ceiling Paint Flat or Glossy?
Typically, the majority of ceiling paints create a flat finish. In fact, these types of paints often provide the
flattest finish out of all manufactured paints. It is also best to use a flat sheen on ceilings to prevent
decorative or textured plaster from appearing out of sharp angels of light emitted from ceiling lights or
windows.
However, some people still prefer a high gloss finish on their ceilings as it can work well alongside other
room features, like candles and lamps that reflect light from the polished finish. If you do decide to go with
gloss, make sure your surfaces are smooth and free of any imperfections beforehand because using gloss will
only highlight them.
Ceiling Paint vs. Wall Paint
One significant difference between ceiling and wall paint is their viscosity or thickness. While the density of
wall paint is low, the higher consistency in ceiling paint means you’ll usually only need one coat to complete
the job. Ceiling paints’ thickness also means it adheres to surfaces better, which lowers the risk of dripping.
Ceiling paint is excellent for creating a clean finish, but it also does an exceptional job of hiding
imperfections. You could use wall paint on a ceiling, but due to its low density, it would be time-consuming
as it would likely need two or three coats before you get the same finish as you would with ceiling paint.
Sprayer or Roller?
It’s easy to see why more and more people are using sprayers to apply paint to their surfaces these days. It’s
quicker and far easier to get paint in those hard-to-reach places. But using them does have its drawbacks.
Firstly they can make an awful mess. They can also leave you with uneven coats and can break down.
While sprayers are more often the choice of professionals, using a roller is considered a better option for the
DIYer to paint the ceiling. They offer you greater control and the ability to create a more even finish. Other
benefits include better adhesion and less paint used.
One thing people often face when painting a ceiling with a roller is the awful-looking roller marks that
appear. Using a thicker napped roller, such as a 3/4″, you can avoid such a dilemma. They have softer
rounded edges, unlike a thinner nap with sharp edges, which is more likely to leave roller lines.
When using your roller, make sure you roll out the area you’re painting, then go back and re-roll it before
loading your roller back up with paint.
Roller marks can also appear due to too much paint on the edges of the roller. To remedy this, simply roll
out any excess paint and eliminate any lines you can see by going over them again before loading your roller
up with less paint.
