Painting a porch ceiling blue is a matter of good preparation and proper painting technique.
There is no decorating rule that says that all ceilings must be painted white, including porch ceilings. While painting a porch ceiling in a dark midnight blue can have an effect on light reflection (reducing reflected glare or darkening the porch in general), a sky blue can create a lovely atmosphere. Good surface preparation will pay off with a professional-looking paint job.
Instructions
1. Clear the porch and the ceiling area. Remove all porch furniture and take down any hanging swings or planters. Remove any covers on ceiling-mounted porch lights.
2. Clean the ceiling. Use a mop with a cotton head, dipped into a bucket of warm, sudsy water. Rinse the ceiling thoroughly after "soaping" it. A power sprayer, set on "wide" angle, produces the best result, but you can also use a common garden hose with sprayer attachment. Remove standing water from the porch floor with a broom or wet-vacuum. Let the ceiling dry thoroughly.
3. Spread drop cloths on the porch floor and over any railings and banisters. Canvas drop cloths are generally better than thin plastic drop cloths since they stay put, especially on a windy day.
4. Scrape off any remaining loose paint from the ceiling using a paint scraper or a stiff metal spackle knife. Use a ladder to reach the ceiling comfortably. Be sure to wear protective eyewear throughout most of this project. You will be looking up most of the time while prepping and painting, so you will want to keep flecks of paint (old and new) out of your eyes.
5. Mask the walls along the ceiling lines using a high quality painters tape. Mask around the porch light fixture base as well. If your porch light is a chandelier, "bag" the chandelier with a loose covering of clear plastic.
6. Prime the ceiling. "Cut in" the borders where the porch ceiling meets the wall, and around any light fixture, with a 2- to 3-inch wide sash brush. Fill in the rest of the ceiling with primer using a roller applicator and an extension handle. Let the primer dry overnight. Clean out your sash brush but dispose of the used roller cover.
7. Apply the first coat of blue paint. Cut in the borders of the ceiling and around any light fixture with the sash brush and paint in the rest of the ceiling with the roller. Let this first coat dry thoroughly. Place your brush and paint roller in the roller tray and cover the tray with a plastic garbage bag. This will keep the brush and roller head wet while waiting for the first coat of paint to dry, even if the "wait" is overnight.
8. Apply a second coat of the blue paint, starting with the "cut in" work again and then filling in the rest of the porch ceiling. If the shade of blue paint is very dark, you may need to apply a third coat to achieve good coverage. Let dry overnight. Clean your brushes and paint roller frame: dispose of the used roller cover.
9. Remove all the masking tape and uncover the light fixture. Roll up the drop cloths and reinstall furnishings.
10. Save any leftover paint for future touch ups by pouring it into a suitable container. Label the container "Porch Ceiling," plus the name of the paint manufacturer, the name of the color and the date.
Tags: porch ceiling, drop cloths, light fixture, blue paint, ceiling with