Best Ways To Paint A Textured Ceiling

Textured ceilings add an extra dimension to a room, because they are more visually interesting than a flat white ceiling. How do you paint textured ceilings, though? It’s a different animal than painting a flat ceiling. Here are the best ways to paint a textured ceiling.

• Prepare carefully. Contractors should make any needed repairs to the ceiling before painting. The ceiling should be cleaned with a vacuum. This must be done carefully, so as not to damage the texture with the vacuum attachment. Remove furniture from the room, or cover larger pieces with drop cloths or plastic. Remember to cover the floor, in case paint drips from the ceiling. Also, the walls should be covered with plastic sheeting that hangs down at least three feet from the ceiling.

• Tape. All edges should be taped carefully. Another method for keeping a straight edge is to cut in, or paint with a bristle brush or a disposable foam-rubber brush, around the edges of the ceiling to a width of several inches.

• Use the correct paint. Texture paint is a thick paint that is specially made to hold textured designs, like stippling, even after it is dry. You can find texture paint in several different varieties, like smooth, sand, or coarse. Coarse is sometimes called “popcorn”, and ceilings with this kind of paint are called “popcorn ceilings”.

• Use the correct tools. Textured ceilings can be painted with either a roller or a spray gun. The roller should have a nap of at least one inch for thick textures and 3/4 inch for finer ones. The roller should be pressed lightly, and the painter should go over the same area repeatedly, to make sure the paint gets into all the little crevices. Many painters prefer using a spray gun for textured ceilings, because they deliver the paint uniformly over the surface. Also, spraying takes less time than rolling, so the contractors will be out of your house quicker.

• Priming is important. Most painters will use a coat of primer on a textured ceiling, to allow the new paint to bind to the ceiling more strongly. Primer should be allowed to dry overnight. Remember that paint takes longer to dry on a textured ceiling, because of all the little nooks and crannies on the surface.

You can easily paint a textured ceiling if you use the right tools and techniques. Besides, it’s worth the extra effort to have a ceiling that adds visual interest to your room.