Vibrant ceiling paint is all the rage. In last month’s blog, we wrote about the latest trend in home painting: Color drenching, a technique in which the entire room – from the baseboards to the ceiling – is one color. But achieving that look requires homeowners to effectively execute painting their ceilings, a skill which isn’t always intuitive to the average wall-painter.

So what does painting your ceiling require of you? Read on to learn!

When Painting the Ceiling is a Good Idea

Not every room requires you to paint the ceiling. In many cases, you’re better off leaving well enough alone and sticking to focusing on the walls. 

But some rooms look best with a fresh coat of paint and a vibrant color overhead. Ceiling paint is generally a good idea for rooms where the existing ceiling paint is faded and peeling, or those with unique architectural structures connecting the ceiling to the rest of the room. Attic rooms, for instance, often look good with a floor-to-ceiling color connecting all elements of the room. 

Additionally, some homeowners may simply like the idea of a bright, color-blocked room. That’s as good a reason as any to paint the ceiling!

Steps for Painting the Ceiling

Painting the ceiling is similar to any other home painting project you may have, with a few additional noteworthy considerations.

1. Pick out your color. You’ll need to decide if you want to paint your ceiling the same color as the rest of the room or something else. White is the most common ceiling color, but you can paint it anything you choose. Just make sure to get matte paint for the ceiling.
2. Prep your surfaces and the surrounding area. You’ll need to prep the ceiling like you would any wall – cleaning, potentially sanding, and priming it. You’ll also want to protect the ground by laying out painter’s tarps, and removing fixtures if possible.
3. Paint! Starting from the corners of the room, begin painting with a brush. Once this is complete, you can switch to working with a paint roller. Make sure to finish painting the ceiling before the walls if you’re doing both surfaces at once.
4. Enjoy your room!

Mistakes to Avoid

There’s room for error with any painting project, but when you paint the ceiling, you’re especially vulnerable. Some common mistakes to watch out for include:

• Dripping paint onto the floor or fixtures. When you paint the ceiling, the paint is literally sitting upside down, making it particularly likely to fall. You need to make sure that your floor is completely covered and that you tape over any fixtures that aren’t taken down.
• Using the wrong finish. Light hits ceilings differently than it hits walls, making ceilings particularly vulnerable to strange shadows and reflections, especially if you use a paint with a lot of glossiness to it. Glossy paint will also show imperfections more than matte paint, which are particularly noticeable on the ceiling. And of course, matte paint is cheaper. Why not save your money?
• Not getting the right tools. In addition to tarps, you’re going to need a lot of tape, a high-quality roller, and a reliable ladder to paint the ceiling. Skimp on any tool, and you’re liable to end up with a paint-splattered floor and an injury from a fall.

Don’t Drip on the Floor: Call in Backup

Painting your ceiling may be trendy, but it’s not exactly a project everyone can pull off. From getting hurt to ending up with an ugly room, a lot can go wrong when you DIY it. If you’re going to work with a professional for any home paint project, let this be it.
It makes sense to want to paint the occasional kid’s bedroom yourself. But painting the ceiling is highly technical, with a lot of room to make a mistake. Don’t end up needing it painted twice. Give us a call today at CorsPaint, and we’ll color drench your room in no time.