How to paint a ceiling
Thanks to leaky roofs, smoke and spills, it’s also easy for neglected ceilings to get covered in unsightly stains. And when it comes to painting and decorating your home, it’s easy for ceilings to get overlooked. But, you’d be amazed at how much painted ceilings can transform the look and feel of a room. So, grab some paint and give your ceilings a little spruce up with a fresh paint job. Not sure how? You’re in the right place. Learn how to paint a ceiling with our professional guide.
Is painting a ceiling difficult?
Most people - professionals and amateurs alike - tend to put off this slightly awkward and messy job. But with a little bit of guidance, the right tools, and patience, you’ll have the ceiling of your dreams in no time! Ready to give it a go? Read on…
Gather your tools and paint supplies
Here are what tools you’ll need to get started:
Prep Supplies
- Sandpaper block, flexi-filler & filling knife in our wall repair kit
- Dust sheet
- Ladder (for cutting in)
Paint Supplies
- Biodegradable dust sheet
- Masking tape
- Brush (or cutting in paint brush)
- Paint tray
- 9” Roller with Roller Sleeve
- Paint roller extension pole
- Paint for the ceiling
Pro Tip: Use safety glasses so you don’t get paint speckles in your eyes
Grab your LickPro tools
How do I prep my room for painting my ceiling?
Gathered your gear? Time to prepare your room for painting:
- Protect your furniture. Start by moving your furniture to another room. If you can’t find any other space for it (or it’s on the heavier side) move it to a corner of the room.
- Drape lots of protective dust sheets over your furniture to save yourselves the hassle of dealing with nightmarish upholstery stains after.
- Lay a decorators canvas on your floor to protect it from any splatters.
How do I prep my ceiling for painting?
Prep is just as important to ceilings as it is for walls (you can read how to prep walls for painting here).
Inspect your ceiling for bumps and gaps. Sand down any bumps with sanding paper and fill in any holes or large cracks with flexi filler. This is also a good time to deal with any ceiling-related issues that you’ve been neglecting. Discover Lick’s Wall Repair Kit, a trusty 3-piece kit to help you achieve a professional finish.
Get rid of any grease and dust by cleaning the surface with warm water. In most instances, a dust rag should suffice and soap plus water is for heavier grime.
Apply masking tape to protect key areas
If you are not planning on painting the walls too, then first you need to apply masking tape around the edges in order to protect your trim and/or walls.
Starting at the corner of a room, apply your tape by pressing down on the edges firmly to ensure a tight seal so the paint doesn’t bleed through.
To paint around a ceiling fixture, make sure you cover up light fixtures and secure painter's tape around the edge of the fixture's base.
Read our full guide on how to use masking tape when painting.
How many coats should you paint a ceiling?
For the best coverage, paint two coats of paint onto your ceiling.
Is it best to paint a ceiling with a roller or a brush?
By using a roller instead of a brush you can roll your ceiling fast. Our 9” roller with extension pole is the speediest way to get the job done.
Do you paint the ceiling first or the walls?
When painting an entire room, our decorators always suggest you paint the ceiling first, and allow 24 hours for the surface to dry before painting your walls. This allows you to effectively cover the surface while not having to worry about any over-spray (the effect of excess paint being sprayed onto the walls) by the roller.
Learn how to paint a room and prepare walls for painting here.
Where do you start when painting a ceiling?
- Step on to your ladder and start with the corners/ edges first.
- Start to brush paint along the edge of the ceiling, tackling one section at a time.
- You will want to use our painting tray, which is smaller and easier to manage when up a ladder.
- Using a 1” angled brush start to brush paint along the edge of the ceiling to cut in by about 3 to 4 inches around the perimeter of the ceiling (learn how to cut in when painting).
How do you use a paint roller on a ceiling?
- Start to roll, working in small sections whilst your cut-in section is still wet.
- Always roll your roller in the same direction, following the same lines to decrease visible lap marks on the ceiling. Not sure which way you should roll? Consider where the light is coming into the room and where will the majority of visitors be entering the room. Ideally, you want people to look across the roller line marks rather than down them.
- Use an extension pole to move around the room faster.
- Reroll as you go for optimum coverage. We’d recommend rerolling every section at a right angle to the first roller direction.
Tip: Planning to paint the walls too? Lap the paint onto the walls to avoid sloppy edges on the ceiling. Read our guide on how to prep a room for painting walls.
Watch our tutorial
How can I paint my ceiling without roller marks?
Try not to take too long between sections, otherwise the paint will dry along the edges and you’ll see lap marks. You can prevent roller marks by starting each section with an overlap onto the wet edges of the section before.
How can I paint my ceiling without splatter?
Splatter marks are inevitable. But to minimise splatter, we’d recommend sticking with a roller for ceiling paint application. You’ll get the best coverage and much less splatter than with a paint sprayer.
Things to watch out for
Make your first ceiling paint experience a success with our top tips below:
- We wouldn’t recommend painting a ceiling in your favourite gear. Expect for things to get a little messy and wear safety glasses to avoid specks of paint getting into your eyes.
- Protect your hair with a baseball cap from the inevitable drips.
- Use a sturdy stepladder to avoid any accidents. No stepping onto wobbly dining room chairs!
Give yourself a little pat on the back. But not for too long - it’s now time to tackle the walls… Thinking of painting your bathroom? Make sure you check out our top tips for choosing the best paint for a steamy bathroom ceiling.