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painting a ceiling
Painting a ceiling may seem overwhelming if you've never done it before. And often it's hard to see what you're doing since you may be putting white paint over existing white paint. However, there are some tricks and products the pros use to save time and hassle, and take some of the guesswork out when painting a ceiling.
You will need:
Addis Paintstick
Paintbrushes in various widths
Paint and Paint Roller Trays
Ladder
Dropcloths
Masking tape
Here's how:
Before you start make sure that you have all the painting supplies you need, especially when you're painting a ceiling. An Addis Paintstick - a paint-roller with a long extension handle and pump-action paint supply - makes it much easier and less tiring to paint a ceiling while standing on the floor rather than on a ladder. Also be sure to buy a selection of quality paintbrushes - you don't want loose bristles to spoil the finished surface!
When painting a textured ceiling, be sure to use a thick-nap roller to ensure that you get full coverage over the bumps and irregularities in the textured surface. For a smooth ceiling you can use a roller with a smooth or shorter nap.
1. To prepare the room, remove all of the furniture if possible before you begin painting. Use dropcloths to protect the floors and any furniture that you must leave in the room. You can purchase plastic dropcloths from most hardware stores.
2. Use masking tape around trim and the area of the wall where it meets the ceiling. In our case, we didn't need to use tape since we also painted the walls and were painting the ceiling and walls in the same colour.
3.Begin by painting a cut-in line on the ceiling. This is a 10cm-wide strip where the ceiling meets the wall. Start in the corner of the shortest length of the ceiling. For this part of the job, you will need a paintbrush and stepladder.
While the cut-in line is still wet, begin painting the ceiling using the roller. Doing this while the cut-in line is still wet will prevent a visible line once the paint is dry.
DIY Tips:
The proper technique for painting with a paint-roller is to dip your roller in the paint in the deep portion of the paint tray and then roll it back and forth in the shallow end of the tray to squeeze out excess paint and ensure even
coverage on the roller.
4. Use the roller to make a zig-zag (or large W) pattern on the ceiling.
Go over the zig-zag pattern with straight strokes to even out the paint.
Once the paint has dried, you may want to go back and apply a second coat, starting with the cut-in line
and finishing with the roller.
In older homes, often the ceiling doesn't line up with the walls at a perfect 90-degree angle. This may make the paint-lines look uneven, especially if you're painting the ceiling a different colour from the walls. To conceal the imperfection, use the wall-colour paint to paint a strip about 10mm-wide along the ceiling where it meets the wall. Continue the strip-line around the perimeter of the room. The small, straight strip of wall-colour paint on the ceiling will give the illusion that the walls and ceiling line up straight.
DIY Tips:
- Painting a ceiling can be a labour intensive project. If you need to take a break wrap both the paint roller and paintbrush in ClingWrap to prevent it from drying - or pop in into a plastic grocery bag and fold over the end.
- If you want to avoid paint in your hair or eyes, wearing a headscarf and safety glasses may not be glamorous, but it sure does beat picking paint spots out of your hair!
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