Painting a popcorn ceiling improves its appearance, but is a messy project.
Popcorn ceilings used to be called acoustic ceilings. They are stippled with texturizing bumps across the surface. The material used is very porous and breaks down when wet. This means that ceilings that have not been previously painted come off when you use a roller. Previously treated popcorn is a breeze to paint, but the raw popcorn ceiling is a bit of a mess to cover, especially with a roller. Professionals spray on the paint, but unless you want to rent a sprayer and cover all the other surfaces of the room with plastic, a roller is your tool.
Instructions
1. Put on safety glasses, a hat and old clothes. Make certain your hair is up under the cap. Cover the entire floor with drop cloths. Run drop cloth to the outdoors or wherever you will be removing the clothing, too.
2. Use painter's tape and a utility knife to cleanly cover the upper edges of the walls. Run the tape around the entire periphery of the room and any ceiling fixtures that could not be removed. Press along the tape to ensure a good seal and prevent leaks.
3. Put the lamb's-wool cover on the roller and screw the painter's pole into the base. Open the shellac-based primer and stir it well. Put the screen on the top rim. This seals the texture so it does not come off when you paint.
4. Use the paintbrush to paint around the edges and corners.
5. Dip the roller in the primer and roll it over the screen. Begin painting at a corner. Do small sections and frequently reload the paintbrush with primer. Use a straight up-and-down motion. When you are done, allow the paint to dry for the amount of time specified by the shellac product or for 24 hours.
6. Open the paint and stir it. Set the screen in the bucket and apply paint with the brush to the edges and corners of the screen. Dip in the roller, then apply the paint to the ceiling. Allow the paint to fully dry before adding a second coat. Follow the manufacturer's instructions on drying time. A second coat is recommended to minimize imperfections and tone.
Tags: , come when, edges corners, popcorn ceiling, second coat