Many of the experts consider ceilings as the fifth wall. They consider it a wall for a purpose. The vibe of a homes interior space can indeed be easily changed by a fine layer of ceiling paint. It can either match the other four walls or create contrast for different reasons.
It is also one of the more difficult areas of a house to paint well. It is important, but not easy. It can be messy, and tiring if you don’t have good equipment.
About ceiling painting
When most people are painting the inside of a house or commercial property, they often just consider the tone of the walls in each room. Yet, there’s another portion of the room that likewise will need to be painted, your roof. The vast majority of colour choice when it comes to the ceiling, can be summed up in one word, “white”.
It doesn’t have to be this way, you can complete many rooms and add an intended feeling to the room, simply by adding colour. But what about the process? How does that usually work?
Did you first paint the roof or walls?
When painting it is usually easier to work from top to bottom. So, if you’re painting a whole room that will usually mean the roof comes first. One of the main reasons for this is paint splattering, or dripping from the ceiling. For this reason alone, it will often make sense to start with the ceiling. One of the most disappointing things can be messing up newly painted walls, with paint flicking from a roller.
What are the variations in ceiling paint?
Since ceiling paints are made specially for ceilings, there must be something different about it right?
Many ceiling paint brands make a slightly thicker or more viscous paint for the ceiling. It is mixed to be thicker and also stickier. This is so it adheres faster to the ceiling, reducing the occurrence of dripping. Having a slightly thicker texture also helps it to hide imperfections on the ceiling easier at times.
Another feature that can be provided by ceiling paint is better coverage. Often you may only need to apply a single coating to protect or cover the ceiling. The chance of this is increased during renovations, as many people are painting white over white.
Ceiling paint is smooth or shiny?
Similar to other paints, you can get ceiling paint in different sheens. There are a few reasons to choose a lower or higher gloss finish with your ceiling paint. Higher gloss paints can be more resistant to mold in wet areas.
Higher gloss ceiling paint can also help brighten dark rooms, as it has higher reflective properties. Candles and other mood lighting can also be enhanced with a higher gloss ceiling. Matt finish is the most common, by quite a long way.
What color to choose?
Firstly, is there really a standard roof paint tone called ceiling white? The appropriate response is yes—sort of. Ceiling whites are not usually too white, as this can show imperfections, cobwebs and marks easier. It is more of an off white. This does not mean other whites can not be chosen.
You also do not have to use white. Colours can be chosen to add mood, or affect whether a room feels cooling or bold. As a general rule, lighter roofs will help open up a room and cause it to appear to be taller. While darker and duller dull tones will cause roofs to feel lower. This can give a room a more personal feeling, or help make a room feel ready for action for example.
Some of the more popular colour choices for a ceiling aside from white in the past years have include black, burgundy, mint green, orange and even stripes. Anything is possible.
As mentioned above, the ceiling is usually the first surface to be painted in a room. S0, you can always try it, and if you don’t like it, change it. This can be done before painting all the other walls already.
Painting the ceiling can be hard work. It helps us have strong shoulder and neck muscles, that’s for sure. Choosing a different ceiling colour can be fun. It can be exciting to apply and add so much character when that is what you are after.
If you would like to talk to an experienced house painter in Melbourne about choosing ceiling paints, then why not give us a call today on 1300 008 566.