Are you searching for the best guide on how to paint a room for beginners? Painting a ceiling is never fun. However, it is essential to give a room a new lease of life in case of renovation, or if you refresh the color of the walls.
Moreover, you will need to repaint if water damage has left damage on the ceiling. It would therefore be a shame to skip this step, but it would be just as bad to botch it. Remember a spotless ceiling brings a beautiful luminosity to the room.
However, unsightly marks or drips inevitably attract the eye and give a neglected look to the whole room. Follow these tips for easy installation and a perfect result!
How to Paint a Room for Beginners
Prepare the Ground before Painting
It may seem tedious, but freeing up and protecting space will save you a lot of time when it comes to painting. Also, it will enable you to avoid staining your interior irreparably.
Firstly, take as much furniture out of the room as possible. Then, cover the remaining furniture with plastic sheeting taped with adhesive or crepe paper tape. Also, protect the floor, radiators and any chimneys or moldings.
Don’t have any plastic sheeting? Cover everything with several thicknesses of newspaper or recycled cardboard. Make sure it’s secure with adhesive to prevent it from moving. Then, clean the ceiling before painting.
For a smooth, streak-free result, start by cleaning the ceiling so that dust does not mix with the paint when you apply it. You can use a wide brush, or if the ceiling is really dirty, a sponge moistened with soapy water. You should then need to rinse the surface, and let it dry well before painting.
The ceiling must also be very smooth. If this is not the case, fill any imperfections, flakes and holes with filler, and seal any cracks. You can also sand the surface with fine sandpaper. In this case, be sure to wipe a dry cloth or brush over the ceiling to remove sanding dust before painting.
Prepare Your Background
If this step is not essential, you should still do it to obtain a perfect result. If you paint a wall or ceiling, you may notice that the paint does not absorb in the same way as in different areas.
The brush slips in certain areas as if it were on a smooth material, and on the contrary, it is difficult to cover certain areas where the material is more porous. Applying a primer will even out the ceiling and ensure uniform absorption of the paint. This makes the work easier and gives a more even result.
How to Paint a Room for Beginners – Choose Your Ceiling Paint with Care
Don’t rush to the first offer that comes along. Poor quality paint or paint that will not adapt to the use you make of it could well spoil your life! Good quality ceiling paints make application easier, avoid drips and limit traces, so you should give them priority.
Are you hesitating between acrylic paint and glycerol paint? The first is easy to use but you cannot wash it off. Conversely, the second is more resistant and washable, but is more difficult to apply, and contains toxic solvents.
Make your choice according to your needs and be aware that you cannot use acrylic paint on a glycerol undercoat, nor the other way around. The choice of matte or satin paint depends on your surface: matte hides small defects, while a satin finish is more suitable in a damp room.
Nowadays, there are paints that are colored on application and become white as they dry. They are perfect for beginners, and for covering an already white ceiling with white. This makes it easier to see areas that are already covered, which makes the work much easier!
How to Paint a Room for Beginners – Choose the Right Ceiling Color
White is the most common choice for painting a ceiling. It’s a taste for simplicity, because it goes with everything, but also to give a feeling of height to the room. It is indeed a color that will visually enlarge the space while bringing a beautiful luminosity to the interior.
Some paint manufacturers even tint their ceiling white with a slight bluish tinge for an even brighter light effect. However, nothing prevents you from choosing another color.
An off-white will bring softness, while a bold color will give the room a lot of personality. In contrast or in harmony with the color of the walls, opt for neutral tones to create a soft atmosphere.
On the other hand, you can opt for a bright color for more pep, if you want a truly original decoration. In all cases, be aware that dark colors reduce the appearance of ceiling height. Also, by painting walls and ceilings the same color, you will “pack” the room, and make it seem smaller.
Equip Yourself with the Right Painting Equipment
Do you really think that all you need to paint a ceiling is a roller? You’ll actually need a bit of equipment to paint effectively. For example, you will need a round brush and a flat brush for contours, a paint tray, and a grid to distribute the paint evenly over the roller. In addition, you will require a masking tape and plastic sheeting.
If you don’t want to be a tightrope walker (and we don’t recommend it!), get a stepladder or a rolling scaffold. It will save you from wringing your neck and painting at arm’s length. As an accessory, you can also put your equipment on it. You will save yourself trips back and forth to fill your tray or change brushes.
Choose the Right Time to Paint
The room temperature is decisive. If it is too cold (less than 10°C), the paint will dry too slowly. On the other hand, if the temperature is above 25°C, let alone above 30°C, the paint will dry too quickly.
That means your roller will inevitably leave overlapping marks, when you move from one area to another. Similarly, do not paint with the window open, the fresh air will dry the paint without giving you time to make clean seams.
Do What the Pros Do To Paint the Ceiling
Begin by painting with a brush or round brush hard-to-reach areas. These areas include moldings or behind pipes, as well as the corners and edges of the ceiling, where it meets the wall. Other hard to reach areas include beams that you have previously protected with adhesive.
