Painting Ceilings

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dizzyfish
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Painting Ceilings

#1 Postby dizzyfish » Sun Jun 29, 2008 4:47 pm

Well, CM is taking wallpaper off her ceilings and I'm painting mine. I'll bet hers gets done first!

Actually, I'm painting the ceilings in both bathrooms. The texture is the same as the walls - so no popcorn - thank goodness! I will be starting in a couple of days. I am doing the finish spackle on the holes the icky mirror left in the hall bath tomorrow and then taping the tile so I will have a nice edge. The ceiling will be the same color as the walls - white. (since we have colored tiles)

I have never painted a ceiling before. How hard it is? Can I just use the same roller that I use for the walls or do I need something special?
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#2 Postby Miss Mary » Sun Jun 29, 2008 6:22 pm

I painted our powder room's ceiling a medium tan color, to blend with the wallpaper. We have a few two story rooms so we've not painted their ceilings when redoing room colors. Mostly I've chosen off white if I had to paint ceilings.

My advice is even though it's a bathroom and/or kitchen, use flat paint. Even though the paint clerk and any expert will tell you to use high gloss or semi. I've found that flat is best if you're the painter - your brush strokes are hidden and blend well.

In fact, I'm no longer into any glossy type paint - I prefer flat. It just goes on better, your brush strokes are always hidden well.

When I've painted ceilings, I've painted the ceiling first and actually used the flat ceiling color down onto the wall about an inch or two. That way when I've come back with new wall color I have a crisp edge and the former ceiling color is completely covered (nothing from previous paint peeking thru).

Finally, I would suggest you buy a paint extender stick, not the long ones but a short one (I think they're a foot long). It screws into your roller handle. Then use a step stool or sturdy chair, painting sections. This seems easier on my back than if I used a 6 foot ladder and regular roller handle. Switch arms too otherwise one will get very sore over the other one.
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Re: Painting Ceilings

#3 Postby vbhoutex » Sun Jun 29, 2008 10:15 pm

I have used what I call a covered roller when painting ceilings. Basically it fits around the roller and keeps splatter to a minimum. I imagine they are still available at any type of paint store or places like Lowes. Definitely get the roller extension Mary suggested. I prefer to stand on the floor so I get a longer or adjustable extension. Good idea ont the blend down onto the wall Mary.
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#4 Postby CajunMama » Sun Jun 29, 2008 11:18 pm

luckily the bathroom i'm going to do isn't big. I'll probably just brush the paint on. Flat paint does work/look best for ceilings. You could probably get by if you're using eggshell paint though.

Oh, and you will get yours done before me.
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Re: Painting Ceilings

#5 Postby dizzyfish » Mon Jun 30, 2008 6:09 am

Wow! Thanks for the tips everyone. 8-)

You know Mary, you are right about the flat hiding brush strokes best. I have used flat before when painting our old house. Hubby wants semi gloss in the bathrooms this time. *sigh*

David - I had forgotten all about the covered rollers. I used to see them advertised all the time. I think I will call Lowes later and see if they still carry those. At least that would help keep the drips out of my hair! lol

Kathy - I am fortunate too in that both of my baths are on the small side and have lots of wall tile so there isn't much to paint. :)

Thanks again!

Dotty
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#6 Postby Miss Mary » Mon Jun 30, 2008 7:49 am

Dotty - I sometimes think high gloss or semi in bathrooms and kitchens is old school. Walk into any family run hardware store, ask for advice and you will be told to use these types of paint.

I'm lucky enough to have had a former, very whacky neighbor who was ahead of her time, back in the 90s. She'd be great on any redecorating show on HGTV these days. She would cut out flowers and shapes from wallpaper, and trail them here and there on her walls (after painting a color to blend with the paper cut outs). Meanwhile we other wives thought that was so cool and clever! She did all sorts of things with paint, sometimes taking two old colors and blending them, coming up her own shade. Trouble was she could only paint sections (one highlighting wall in a room). She rarely had paint leftover this way.

Well, she got me thinking about non-conventional ways of painting and window treatments. I'm most proud of my kitchen window treatment - a series of fabric triangles, overlapping, with companion fabric beneath (which has now faded, they really should be redone) with the same print (ie a prominent leaf with grape vines) in the center of each triangle. She in a sense taught me to do this.

When it came time to choose what I would call library or den type paper (dark green/tan/burgundy paisley print) for our powder room, I decided to pull out the dark tan color for the ceiling. I brought this paint down onto the walls too, about 2 inches so there'd be a crisp edge of paper next to ceiling. My wallpaper installer suggested I have my wall sizing tinted a dark tan, so if the paper curled up, the background wouldn't be a stark white. That was also good advice!

One thing I do follow is this - when asked where I got this idea or that from (recipes too), I always credit the correct person. I fully admit to stealing lots of ideas of other people!

In other words, I am not an original, by any shape of the means.....he he

I didn't realize you had the bumpy ceiling. We had those in our old condo. You just buy a roller cover for ceilings such as these. They're very thick (think fleece), which absorbs lots of paint. You go over each section slowly, to make sure each little section grabbed paint. A 2 inch wide brush could fill in any places you miss (I'd have the brush ready). Because if your eyes are like mine, when I see a spot I missed, I'd better get it right then and there - my eyes can't be trusted to find that missed spot later on....LOL!

Let us know how it goes....

Mary
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#7 Postby Pburgh » Mon Jun 30, 2008 10:57 am

Wear a bandana on your head and put your reading glasses on. You can always wash your face and the glasses.
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#8 Postby Miss Mary » Mon Jun 30, 2008 1:00 pm

2 great suggestions Karan - we've all gotten paint in our hair, best to prevent it in the first place!

One of my favorite go-to reliable paint tools is the small roller. Not the thin nap type but a regular thickness roller but 2 or 3 inches wide. These small rollers have handles just like the 9 inch wide ones but are good at painting above cold air returns on walls, above doors, cabinets, etc. And very easy to clean up too!
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Re: Painting Ceilings

#9 Postby Dionne » Mon Jun 30, 2008 1:03 pm

There is a small roller available......it's about 5 inches......comes with a thin metal rod about 2' long and grip as a handle. It's easy to use in tight, small applications......the roller itself is interchangeable and does not hold that much paint, which reduces splatter.
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#10 Postby Pburgh » Mon Jun 30, 2008 1:12 pm

I've been know to paint entire jobs with those little rollers. I love them. I painted my Mom's entire kitchen cabinets using one of those small rollers and a paint brush. Easy
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Re: Painting Ceilings

#11 Postby dizzyfish » Mon Jun 30, 2008 1:34 pm

Oh thanks Karan! I forgot about my glasses. Trifocals - so you know how blind I am Mary. LOL :wink: I think I will wear the goggles that go over my glasses - hubby has some if I can find them.

Thanks for the idea about the small rollers - I used those to paint the hall bath in the old house a few years ago - I just love those!

I have finished the spackle and have taped off the edge of the tile. Ran into a problem removing the light fixture - hubby will now have a "honey do" when he gets home. tee hee

Hope to start painting the hall bath Wednesday as I have a couple of appointments I need to go to tomorrow.
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#12 Postby CajunMama » Mon Jun 30, 2008 1:36 pm

Just use that blue masking tape around the light fixture. That way you'll still have light while painting!
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#13 Postby Pburgh » Mon Jun 30, 2008 1:43 pm

Last time I painted my bathroom I decided that I'd remove the light fixture and be very thorough. Didn't figure on the fact that I wouldn't have any light in the bathroom since there is no window in that one. LOL Thanks goodness for those double trouble lights on that tripod hickey.

I never said I was the brightest bulb on the tree.
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Re:

#14 Postby dizzyfish » Mon Jun 30, 2008 2:05 pm

CajunMama wrote:Just use that blue masking tape around the light fixture. That way you'll still have light while painting!



HA HA I actually thought of that believe it or not! I just wanted to take the metal part off around it and put the bulbs back in. Not sure that is gonna work though.
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Miss Mary

#15 Postby Miss Mary » Tue Jul 01, 2008 7:18 am

Another trick I use is to keep a bucket of warm water, sponge and a roll of paper towels nearby. If I get paint on something, I just wipe it up right away (we have stained woodwork).
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Re:

#16 Postby Dionne » Tue Jul 01, 2008 5:01 pm

Miss Mary wrote:Another trick I use is to keep a bucket of warm water, sponge and a roll of paper towels nearby. If I get paint on something, I just wipe it up right away (we have stained woodwork).


Thats a good plan. Also keep in mind the quality of the brushes you purchase. You can spend $20 on a brush that you can cut in with versus the blue tape. My wife used to tape everything.....I always freehand cut in with a back up wet cloth.
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Re: Painting Ceilings

#17 Postby Miss Mary » Tue Jul 01, 2008 6:43 pm

Dionne - I used to paint everything too. But I tried a good quality angled 1 inch wide brush from Sears. With a steady hand I can paint a good edge. It sure took years of practice though....
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#18 Postby Pburgh » Wed Jul 02, 2008 7:19 am

I love those little rectangular shaped flat pads to cut in edges on ceilings.
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#19 Postby Miss Mary » Wed Jul 02, 2008 7:57 am

Karan - me too! The one I used to have had wheels on the side. But I had a hard time finding replacement pads. The other one is a companion tool with the one you described - both have orange handles, but the small one has just a small pad - one inch by two, no wheels, but you glide it along the edge.

Another tool I've used are straight edges - think mini blind but with a handle, a foot long. You hold these next to trim and windows. But after a while they tend to get dinged up or bent. I would wipe the edge off with a wet sponge. That helped too.
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Re:

#20 Postby vbhoutex » Wed Jul 02, 2008 12:32 pm

Pburgh wrote:I love those little rectangular shaped flat pads to cut in edges on ceilings.


They seem to work best for me unless it is bumpy along the edges, then I go back with a chiseled edge brush.
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