Painting a ceiling is one of those tasks around the house that might seem daunting at first but can turn out to be a manageable and even fun task once you understand what you?re doing. Not only is the task itself enjoyable, the look of a new ceiling can lend a striking new aspect to a room that was dull or oppressive-feeling.
To Tape or not to Tape?That is the Question
The first decision you?ll have to make when deciding how to go about painting your ceiling is whether or not you want to put up painter?s tape. This might seem obvious to some, but it is a legitimate question to ask yourself before you start putting brush to spackle.
Tape can be extremely helpful for the beginner painter as a way to ensure that any adjacent surfaces remain paint-free throughout the process of painting a new ceiling. You won?t enjoy having to scrape a color off of your light fixture or dig up the exact color of paint that was on your walls to attempt to go over a slip of the hand or a splatter after the fact.
But there are some benefits to going tape-free. Cutting in is a process in which you use the very top bristles of a loaded brush to draw your line. It?s used before any other painting is done and only on the areas of your ceiling where it meets a wall or door frame where it would be unwieldy to attempt to fit a roller.
To cut in properly, start the brush about an inch or so away from where you want your line to be drawn and then let the bristles glide upwards as you move until they just cover the edge of your surface. This should be done in both directions to erase brushstrokes, and also make sure that any missed spaces along the edge are hit going back in the other direction.
Let the Good Times Roll
Once you?ve laid down your tape or cut into the edges of the ceiling enough that you won?t need to go into any precision, it?s time to get out a roller. Your roller should be loaded with paint from a tray with a wedge so that you can offload any excess paint. You don?t want it dripping down onto the floor or your face when you start rolling paint onto the ceiling. Your first roll is fine, but for any subsequent rolls, you should be sure the roller starts away from the section to be gone over again. This ensures that areas don?t get too thick with paint.
When painting a large area, make sure to return to the areas that are drying before going over anything else. If paint is heedlessly applied in a clockwise or counter-clockwise fashion then it might be the other side of the wall that is drying and you will end up with noticeable drying patterns and uneven areas in your work when done.
Color Choices
Colors can affect the way your room is perceived and feels, so they are important to consider when attempting to make a space feel both cohesive and pleasing to the eye. Colors on the ceiling that are lighter versions of complementary colors on the walls and floor can give the feeling of having a very open space.
Dark colors can be used to bring attention to the ceiling, bringing it further into the experience of the room. Ceilings with unobtrusive white can expand and alter a space while being more subtle. The white keeps attention away from the color of the ceiling itself and instead gives a pleasing effect to the entire room.
There are also interesting effects that can be achieved with the use of glazes and plaster materials, but these are best left to professional installation.
No matter how involved the installation or tough the job, Pro Painters, a Houston painting company, would love to help with your painting project. Please feel free to give us a call at 281-819-2533 for a free quote. Your satisfaction is our number one priority, and we?ll guide you every step of the way.
