How to Prep Your Ceiling and Paint a Bold Color

What you should consider before painting your ceiling

One Room Challenge Week 2: All the things you should consider before painting your ceiling especially a dark color. Prep, prep and prep some more.

This week as part of the One Room Challenge we tackled the most boring part of any transformation Prep. Your ceiling is the 5th wall that most people forget about painting. Honestly when I first moved into my home and painted everything, I never even considered painting the ceiling…because celling re supposed to be white. Right?? WRONG!

Painting your ceiling can be a fun bold way of adding depth and some interest to your room, butt before you get the roller out, you need to prep. Now these steps work for your walls also but in this post we’re going to focus on you ceiling. If you’d like to see the moodboard for this space go to the Purple and Moody Main Bedroom post.

The Tools You’ll Need

• Paint Scraper
• Drywall patch
• 220 Grit Sandpaper
• Paint Ultra Flat for ceilings
• Primer (regular, light walls)
  • Primer Gray (Dark walls)
• Tarp
• Paint Sprayer
• Wagner EZ roller to paint (see how to set up and use here)
• Hammer or screw driver for nail pops

Prepping you ceiling Steps

• Use a scraper to remove bumps on your wall
• Patch any holes and Fix nail pops
• Sand your wall to remove extra sheen (especially if you have glossy finish)
• If you are painting a Dark color consider using tinted primer or something like a Kilz 2 Gray
• Clear out your room and place tarps on surfaces you don’t want paint on

Did you know if you’re painting your ceilings you cannot get an ultra flat ceiling paint from the major Home Improvement stores? You have to get flat wall paint, which still has a bit of sheen to it. Ceiling paint only comes in the lighter base, which I hope with the trend of people painting their ceilings, they’ll reconsider.

1: Using A Scraper to remove bumps on your wall or ceiling

These are usually caused by improperly mixed paint or something getting on the wall before the paint dries. I know someone who calls these wall pimples! I like to use my 5-1 tool for this because it has so many uses! I just use the flat side to scrape the wall.

What not do do when patching a wall, fill it with newspaper and use caulk! This will not be a patch that lasts! This is exactly what I found while doing this step, some Sunday funnies in the wall. The “patched hole was caving in and not stable.