Paint ceilings
Painting our home is one of the DIY tasks that we usually carry out most frequently. And although painting walls is relatively simple, when it comes to knowing how to paint a ceiling, the task becomes a bit more complicated.
Despite being the great forgotten, painting the ceiling is a key issue to improve the appearance of any room. A faded ceiling detracts from the light in the room and makes it appear smaller, which is key in rooms with a tight size. Therefore, when painting the ceiling of the bathroom, kitchen or any other room, knowing how to do it correctly is key. A good painting result is the perfect finishing touch to make your home look its best.
What do you need
To paint the ceilings of your home, you will need a roller to paint smooth ceilings or a roller to getelé, depending on the format of the ceiling paint. It is also important to look for the best ceiling paint you can find, and it is advisable to use specific products for these areas. These paints are not much more expensive than those used to paint walls and give a better appearance and final result, while reducing splashes.
It is important that, in case of painting complex rooms , you use specific products. For example, to paint the ceiling of a bathroom, we are probably interested in using anti-humidity paints (if you click here, you have several purchase options), which better withstand the environment of this room. The same happens if we want to paint the kitchen ceiling, for which there are products that better withstand contact with heat and fat.
Our tricks for painting ceilings
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Protect the entire room
Whenever we carry out a painting job, it is key to empty the room of furniture and properly protect both the floors and the rest of the elements that we cannot take out of the room. Although it is a somewhat annoying task, it is worse to have to clean up afterward those things that you have left uncovered. Do not forget either to disassemble the lamps, ceiling lights and other similar lighting elements.
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Prepare the surface
In line with what we have already mentioned, the preparation of the surfaces is another important aspect to obtain good results. In damp areas, it is advisable to clean the ceilings with an antifungal product, so that the paint does not have a sandwich effect. Something similar happens with fats. In these cases, it is advisable to resort to a degreaser to clean the ceiling of these residues and improve the grip of the paint.
It is also essential to use putty to cover holes and correct any imperfections in the ceiling surface. Something especially important when painting the ceiling plaster, so that the material does not penetrate inside through those possible holes. By the way, if the ceiling has gotelé and has areas that have lost this finish, it is important to use a roller to make gotelé before painting.
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covering the walls
If you are only going to paint the ceiling and not the walls, you will want to cover them with paper, so as not to splash them during the painting process. It is true that if you have chosen the paint and roller well, it will be easier for you to avoid these drips, but if you can protect the walls, the better. In case you plan to paint the walls, then always start with the ceiling , cutting the corners well. Obviously, in this case it is not necessary to protect the walls.
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regulate your efforts
One of the problems we have when it comes to painting ceilings is the efforts we have to make. In general, it is recommended to use a bucket, a suitable roller according to the type of roof and its structure, as well as an extension handle to mount that roller.
This combination helps you adjust the specific height of the painting set, giving you greater comfort. This also reduces the force you have to perform, although we anticipate that you will save yourself a couple of gym sessions. Jokes aside, it is important that you maintain adequate pressure on the ceiling, always homogeneous, so as not to leave more painted or more marked areas during the work.
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Cuts count too
Due to the characteristics of this work, the cuts take on greater importance than they would normally have. Therefore, it is key to use tools appropriate to the shape of these ceilings, taking into account the presence of moldings and other elements.
If you have a good hand and skill, you can execute these cuts directly with a suitable brush. If this is not the case, you can always resort to bodybuilder’s tape, to protect the areas where you should not paint. As an extra, the market offers us the so-called trimmer roller , which includes a kind of spatula on the side. This complement protects unpainted areas and collects leftover paint.
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order is important
When it comes to painting ceilings, order matters even more than when it comes to painting walls. To carry out the work, it is recommended to start by trimming the corners, edges and moldings that may be on the ceiling, then proceeding to carry out the general painting.
This painting must always be done with adequate and homogeneous tension, so as not to leave marks or scratches. The roller must always move in the same direction, it being advisable to do it on the shortest side of the room, depending on the shape of the ceiling. If the ceiling is large, you can go painting by zones, about 2 meters on each side, not moving on to the next one until you have completely covered the previous one.
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Roller cleaning can wait
We start painting the ceiling, it’s time to eat and we have to continue painting in the afternoon. Is it necessary to clean the roller? Well, the truth is that no, as long as you store the roller correctly.
To prevent the roller from drying out, simply wrap it in plastic. Alternatively, you can purchase one of the rollers that come with an airtight sleeve for storage. With this accessory, the roller can last up to three weeks in good condition, saving you time on cleaning.
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Cleaning of finished work does not wait
Once you have finished painting, it is important not to wait too long to remove the masking tape and the rest of the protections that you have used. Once you’ve got the job complete, it’s critical to run the cleanup as you go, before the paint dries. If you don’t, it’s possible that by removing these protection elements, they take away part of the paint and force you to make some arrangements in this regard.
