Roof leaks, overflowing sinks, tobacco smoke and big spills can all leave ugly ceiling stains or dinginess that is impossible to conceal with plain old paint. 8 Bob Haring has been a news writer and editor for more than 50 years, mostly with the Associated Press and then as executive editor of the Tulsa, Okla. If possible, spray on the paint—it's less likely to loosen the texture than rolling. In … For more info on painting ceilings, check out How To Paint High Ceilings. Sand the imperfections with 150 grit sandpaper or finer. Paint corners and edges first with the brush, then use the roller to cover broad areas of wall and ceiling. Editor's Tip: A drywall ceiling suspension system is somewhat like the familiar dropped ceiling that accepts tiles, but the members are engineered for face-application of drywall—up to doubled 5/8-inch panels. A roller is the go-to applicator when painting drywall; even when spraying paint, a seasoned pro back rolls to avoid streaks and drips. Touch up any missed spots with the brush or a small touch-up roller before doing a full wall. Get an extension handle for the roller if desired to reach high places without a ladder. Paint corners and edges first with the brush, then use the roller to cover broad areas of wall and ceiling. Most tape that bridges drywall … Paint the wall corners and edges with the brush, then roll the walls with the roller, working from the center to the ends of each wall. After completing the entire length of the wall or ceiling, move to the next section and paint over the feathered edges. Start by using a brush to apply paint to the edges along the walls, floor, and ceiling. Do not stand directly under the roller as you work. You want to get as much paint on the ceiling as you can in the shortest amount of time possible while minimizing spatters. Practice your technique several times before working on the ceiling if you are a beginner. Wipe off the dust with a damp sponge. After you're done hanging drywall, and all the seams are taped and finished, you need two coats of paint to give the wall its final appearance. See typical tasks and time to paint a wall, along with per unit costs and material requirements. Then when you paint the walls, you can err on the side of leaving a little ceiling color showing when you cut in and it won't be noticeable. You will probably need to paint the whole area around the stain (the whole wall or ceiling) because it is very difficult to make the paint … Start out by spraying 2 coats onto the ceiling, one in either direction. Tools 1 The best tip for rolling on paint is to avoid overworking the paint. For a ceiling, you want paint that doesn't spatter, has a long open time (dries slowly), and is flat instead of glossy. The thinner, feathered coat of paint will avoid the buildup that causes the lap mark. The first person should "cut in" the edges with a quality brush, painting along the baseboards, ceiling line and corners, while the second person follows … Paint: Finally, you can paint! Prime the Ceiling and Cut the Corners. Use a 1/4-inch nap for semi-gloss finishes on smooth drywall, a 3/8-inch nap for flat finishes, and a thicker -- up to 1-inch nap -- for textured surfaces. Hold the knife at a 45-degree angle to the wall and run the blade along the edge of the ceiling. Wipe the Sheetrock with a damp sponge to remove any traces of dust from sanding or smoothing tape joints and locate any problem areas, such as fasteners that were not properly covered. 7. Gouges: If you find that you have gouges (small dents or loosening of drywall) in your ceiling, take the following steps to resolve … For the second coat, apply the paint in the opposite direction. A lot depends on the quality of the texturing job. Create your own unique plaster finish on a ceiling in your home using paint and drywall mud, commonly known as joint compound. Hold a work light over the surface to find any imperfections. Apply your first coat of primer. You add the primer just like you would add new paint. To prime your new drywall, you’ll want to: Fix any cracks in the walls before you prime your surfaces. When you're done sanding, wipe the ceiling with a damp sponge to remove the dust. This method has a couple of advantages over cutting in the entire room at once. You may not want to paint your ceiling yellow, but don't be afraid to deviate from plain old white. It's almost impossible to paint right next to rough-textured ceilings (a process called “cutting in”) without getting paint on the ceiling. Tape off anything that might be hit by paint splatters. Plus, it's just more interesting. Buy good-quality primer paint; look for paint specifically designed for priming Sheetrock or drywall, which is highly absorbent. Get fair costs for your SPECIFIC project requirements. How to Repair Ceiling Drywall in a Manufactured Home. Carefully brush paint along the edge of the ceiling a section at a time. And when the primer dries, follow up with a coat of ceiling paint. It is made of gypsum plaster compressed between two thick sheets of sturdy paper, produced in large sheets and fastened to wall studs with nails or screws. You'll get the best coverage by immediately rerolling each section at a right angle to your first roller direction as you go. Apply the first coat of paint with a paint roller. You can buy all kinds of fancy—and expensive—extendable paint poles, but a simple wooden broom handle usually works just as well. Seams between panels and corners are covered with a drywall tape and joint compound, a form of plaster called mud, to create a smooth finished wall. Before I knew better - I always used ceiling paint as primer on drywall. 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