Painting Your Ceiling: Tips and Tricks

Don’t forget the fifth wall! Here’s how to paint ceilings correctly for a polished look.

Introduction

It is the most physically demanding part of any painting project. It drips on your face, it strains your neck, and it is tempting to skip it.

But a freshly painted ceiling is the secret to a bright, clean room. Over time, ceilings yellow from sunlight, cooking grease, and candles. You might not notice it until you put a fresh coat of white up there and see the difference.

Here is how to paint your ceiling without destroying your body.

1. Buy a Pole (Seriously)

Do not try to paint a ceiling standing on a ladder. You will fall, or at the very least, you will have a stiff neck for a week.

Buy a sturdy, extendable roller pole. It allows you to stand on the floor and roll the paint with leverage. You should only need the ladder for “cutting in” the edges.

2. Paint the Ceiling First

If you are painting the entire room, always start with the ceiling.

  • Gravity is real: Paint will inevitably splatter downward. If you paint the walls first, you will ruin them when you roll the ceiling.
  • Order of Operations: Ceiling -> Trim -> Walls.

3. Use “Ceiling Paint”

Standard wall paint is designed to be durable and scrubbable. Ceiling paint is designed to be flat and non-reflective.

  • Why it matters: Ceilings often have imperfections in the drywall. Glossy paint highlights them. Flat ceiling paint hides them. We recommend Ceiling Bright White SW 7007 for a clean, standard look, or High Reflective White SW 7757 if you want to maximize light reflection.
  • Pro Tip: Buy a “color-changing” ceiling paint that goes on pink or purple and dries white. This helps you see where you have missed a spot, which is notoriously hard to do when painting white on white.

4. Roll in a Grid

To avoid roller marks (lap lines), roll in 3x3 foot sections.

  1. Apply the paint in a “W” pattern.
  2. Fill in the “W” without lifting the roller.
  3. Move to the next section and overlap the wet edge of the previous section.

Conclusion

A bright white ceiling lifts the room and makes it feel larger. It is a pain to do, but the results are worth it.

If the thought of painting overhead makes your shoulders ache, give us a call. Canvas Home Painting has the crews and the equipment to knock out high ceilings quickly and safely.

Get a quote for your ceiling project.