When it comes to painting your ceiling, it’s a big choice. Do you use white, dark, or colored paint? How will it look and affect the appearance of the room? Will it complement your decor?
Once you make these decisions, what type of paint do you use and what finish? Below we cover a few of the most common finishes, paints to use, and how the different colors will affect the appearance of your room.
Common Ceiling Painting Styles for Your Home
Ceilings are often overlooked when it comes to painting. However, they should not be forgotten as they provide a key part of the room’s ambiance and can also affect the mood.
Ceiling paintings can take many forms but are often either accentuated in one color or painted with a combination of colors that complement the other decorations in the room.
Two of the most common finished for ceilings include eggshell and satin.
Painting Different Ceiling Materials
Different ceiling materials can make it difficult to decide what paint to use because the different paints are designed for different surfaces and require different primers. Smooth can handle most latex-based paints. Textured drywall is great with flat latex paint instead of paint specifically designed for ceilings. If you have a plaster or stucco ceiling, you’ll want paint with very strong adhesion to this material so you’re looking for paint specifically for plaster, stucco, etc. Wood ceilings will need to be sanded prior to painting and also need a primer coating. If the wood has been stained, you’ll want to use oil-based paint.
Painting a Ceiling First Steps
Painting a ceiling can seem like an easy task. However, it is not as easy as you may think. If you do not prepare the surface properly, the paint will drip and cause damage to your home.
If your ceiling has water or mold damage, you should not paint your ceiling until there is a chance to fix the leak or repair any mold that has built up.
If you need to paint ceilings inside of closets, be sure to turn off the light before painting. The painted floor of the closet will reflect light and can make it difficult to see what you are doing.
Before you start painting, do all of your prep work so that it does not interfere with the process of painting.
Ceiling Paint Colors
White Paint:
- Opens up a room
- Great light reflection for better natural lighting in the house
- Doesn’t pull focus
- Works great with any decor
Dark paints:
- Makes a room more cozy
- Makes taller ceilings seem shorter
- Adds drama to the appearance of the room
Light paints:
- If lighter colored than the walls, the room looks larger
- Better for natural lighting
- Walls look taller
- Lots of color options to work with nearly any decor
Tips For Painting Your Ceiling
If you’re embarking on this endeavor yourself, below are some tips to help you with your project:
- Do proper prep work – cover everything in your house where paint could drip or be tracked through the house
- Many surfaces need sanding prior to painting. Talk to an expert or watch some YouTube videos about your ceiling type.
- Clean the surface prior to painting
- Use primer to cover stains and smoothen the surface
- Paint the ceiling before painting walls
- If your ceiling is large or textured, you may want to rent a sprayer
- If using a roller, paint in W-shaped strokes to prevent streaks/roller market.
Hire Professionals For Your Modesto Paint Job
If you live in the Central Valley, call Prime Painters for expert results and work that’s done on time and on budget. We know you don’t want to spend your weekend painting your ceiling, spending the money on materials, the trips to Lowes, and the potential for subpar results. Instead of all that hassle, give us a call. We can provide you a quote today and, if you decide to move forward, take all of the headaches out of it for you.
