Painting Tips For Not Painting The Ceiling

Painting preparation can go a long way.

Painting a room is one of the easiest ways to spruce up your home and add some character. Through various different painting techniques, you can make a room look completely different. Before you paint, you should prepare your room to make sure you don't inadvertently get paint somewhere where it's not supposed to be. One of the most important places you will want to protect is the ceiling.

Preparation

In order to keep your paint where it's supposed to go, you must prepare the room. For the ceiling, the best option is to run a strip of painter's tape along the joint of the ceiling and each wall. Place the tape directly on the ceiling and make sure one edge is flush with the wall you are painting. Use a wide strip of tape in order to allow you more room to maneuver your paint brush as you paint along the wall close to the ceiling. Make sure the tape is on securely, as paint will seep under the tape if there are any spaces, ruining all of your hard work.

Tools that Can Help

There are many tools that can help you from getting paint on your ceiling. The first thing you can use is a small brush. If you are using a paint roller to paint with, stop your strokes just under the ceiling. Under no circumstances should you touch the ceiling with the roller. Then, using a small brush (a 2-inch brush is perfect for this job), paint the top of the wall, just up to where the crease of the wall is. This will allow you more control of the paint as you get into tight areas. There is also a small pad you can purchase that will allow you to paint trim and keep the trim clean. It comes with small wheels and can be put on a dowel to make it easier to get the paint where it needs to be.

Finishing Up

Once you have the walls completely painted, you must wait for them to dry before removing any tape. Once the paint is dry (and you have done any necessary touch-ups), gently pull the tape off of the ceiling. It should come off easily and leave you with a clean edge. If you pull the tape off while the wall is still wet, it may cause the paint to spread and get onto the ceiling.

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