Ceilings are the most difficult to paint; sometimes you can do your best work, but still end up with a so-so looking ceiling because the sheetrock installations wasn't done well. I've painted some really ugly ceilings, but I've picked up some really good tips over the years from pros that produce better results.
Sheen
A dead flat ceiling paint is best as it is non-reflective, thus will not show as many imperfections in the ceiling. I prefer white for the ceilings, but that is just a personal preference that developed after I painted some really ugly colored ceilings :o
Kitchens and bathrooms require a sheen for stain and moisture protection, but technique and equipment (speed and a longer roller) will help give you a will give better result.
Too Dry a Roller
The most common mistake we DIY painters make is we wipe all the paint off the roller after we dip it in the paint tray. Go figure!
In order to paint, we must leave paint on the roller. DIY ugly roller marks are more often than not from a dry edge due to our applying too thin a layer of paint. DonÂt be afraid to load that roller. Too much paint on the roller and it will splatter all over you; not enough and you will roll a relatively thin layer and need to re-load almost immediately.
Size of Roller & Speed
Use an 18â³ roller cover instead of a 9â³ cover--the more space you cover with each roll, the better. Besides, why anyone would torture themselves by painting a ceiling with a 9" cover is beyond me.
For best results on a ceiling, you need to work in a FAST and SMOOTH motion; you want to cover your roller tracks and even out the paint before the edge dries. Speed is of the essenceÂpaint quickly.
Direction of Roll is Extremely Important!
ALWAYS roll the paint in the direction PERPENDICULAR to the MAIN SOURCE of LIGHT FROM WHERE YOU ENTER THE ROOM.
If you have two sources of light pick the light source you see as you enter the room and paint perpendicular to that light source.
My best tip: shop at a real paint store run by a paint dealer who actually knows something about paint products and tools. There are many people on this site who think that paint dealers are overpriced and not worth it--I don't agree. Many paint dealers are very knowledge about the products on the market. I may pay $2 more for a brush or a tool--but what I gain in knowledge and receive in assistance is worth a lot more. When I have questions about paint products, problems, techniques, etc. I just go in or call--questions asked and answered. When I ask the kid at Home Depot a question about paint products, I get a "I'm not really sure about that." All of the above tips come paint dealers--dealers who actually spent years as painters!
Besides, I would rather support my local paint dealer than the big box corporation.
Q