Brothers In Blog

Sorry folks the title is not misleading, I am doing a quick review of ceiling paint. Therefore, if painting the ceiling (any ceiling in any part of the house) is on your home project list, then keep reading to hear my personal insights into this mind numbing task.

Why paint the ceiling?

If you’ve watched even one home design show, then you know: nothing beats a fresh coat of paint. But if you think a fresh coat of paint on the walls looks great, a freshly painted ceiling can improve the look by an order of magnitude. And yes, while painting a ceiling can be a literal pain-in-the-neck, it’s well worth the pain.

Three attempts on the same ceiling with three different types of paint

A few years back we did a kitchen remodel, which meant a new ceiling. The original ceiling had a texture but now that’s gone and the new one has a smooth plaster skim coat finish — looks great but a nightmare to paint. Unfortunately, due to some ice damming, I had to live through the torture of painting this ceiling 3 times. Each time, however, I did it with different paint and got three very different results.

Sears Easy Living

• The project: The first time I painted the ceiling I did a quick sanding of the fresh plaster in order to give the paint something to “bite” into. After cleaning up the dust and throughly wiping down the surface, I “sealed” the ceiling with a basic interior latex primer designed for sealing plaster surfaces. I finished the project with two coats of Sears Easy Living bright white ceiling paint.
• The results: Overall, not bad. The paint dried quickly and due to the room lighting, it was difficult to keep track of where I had just painted. Despite trying to keep my rolling consistent the final result left slight roller patterns. If you like Sears paint, I guess this isn’t a bad option; however, there are better choices out there.

Glidden EZ Track

• The project: Some ice damming left water stains on the ceiling which forced me to repaint. First, I covered over the water stains with Kilz primer. Then, in order to try and avoid the torture of keeping track of where I had just painted, I selected a new product from Glidden called EZ Track technology. The paint went on “pink” but dried white.
• The results: The difference in color absolutely made it easier to see where I was painting; however, the end result was worst than the first attempt. Again, despite trying to be very consistent with the roller, and following the advice from the “pros”, odd roller tracks were everywhere. The paint is great for knowing where you’ve been, but overall this paint absolutely stinks. Do NOT buy it.

Benjamin Moore

• The project: Hey, guess what? Ice damming left water stains on the ceiling — again. I’ve finally located the source of the ice damming and have a way to prevent future problems (keeping my fingers crossed). Unfortunately, the damage was done so I had to spot prime the stain with Kilz, and then paint the ceiling again. This time, however, I went with basic bright white latex ceiling paint from Benjamin Moore.
• The results: Like the first attempt, it was difficult to keep track of where I had just painted. Fortunately, the end result was fantastic. The ceiling has never looked better. Absolutely no funny roller tracks or other inconsistencies. The ceiling final looks smooth and fresh from end to end. Benjamin Moore is highly recommended for this task.

Ways to make ceiling painting a little easier

I don’t love painting, but I love the results. Fortunately, over years of painting I’ve found a few things to make the job a little easier:

• Assemble a painting team: Painting alone can make a small job gigantic. Make the project easier by getting at least one other person to help you. Each person should pick a job — rolling or cutting. And, to make things fair, alternate those jobs so no one person goes blind by cutting the edges all day long. If, however, one person is particularly good at one job and likes it, then stick with your strengths.
• Prep the day before: Painting really isn’t too bad, it’s the room prep that stinks. Make your painting project easier, don’t do everything in one day. If possible, prep the room the day before and paint the next day. Divide and conquer.
• Always assume a second coat is required: Complete coverage is the end result of a good paint job. Rarely have I ever been able to get a good result with a single coat. Having to do a second coat when you expected only one can be very frustrating. Save yourself the frustration and just approach the project assuming a second coat will be required. That way when you have to do a second coat it won’t bother you as much, and if you get lucky and only need one coat, you’ll get that much more excited.
• Get something good to listen to: Music makes the time go by faster, but so too can a good audio book or your favorite podcast. Stock up on audio entertainment and turn a tedious project into something a more enjoyable.
• Get a babysitter: Nothing is worse than a project that drags on because you keep getting interrupted. If you’ve got small kids, then get a babysitter for the day (hire someone or send the kids over to grandma’s house). If you’re kids are older, then arrange for someone else to drive them to their extracurricular activities so you can keep working. If they’ve got nothing planned for the day, then get a couple of movies and order take-out for meals or make them ahead of time to minimize your interruptions.
• Know you limits: Before you start, take a moment and try to figure out how much time you can honestly dedicate to the project. Set some reasonable goals and work at least until you’ve reached what you set. That way you’ll have some sense of accomplishment which can make the difference between finishing the project and never wanted to do something like this ever again. Also, try to understand what makes finishing the project so difficult. For example, if I sit down for lunch and flip on the television, it’s the kiss of death. Once I’ve done that, it takes me twice as long to get back up and finish what I started. I try to break for a short lunch that I eat standing in the room that I’m painting.

Hopefully I’ve inspired you to paint that ceiling or anything else in your house. Now, pick up that paint brush and get started.