Home Improvement Tips: Update Tired Ceiling Panels with Interior Paint Primer
Preparing the Ceiling Panels
Before painting the ceilings, check for any loose panels, holes or serious water stains. Loose panels may need to be individually replaced. Luckily all of our ceiling panels were in good condition save for the occasional nick or hole.
Cleaning the Ceiling
Put on a hat and sweep up those ceilings. Dust and spider webs collect in the most mysterious places, including ceiling corners and near light fixtures. Use a clean broom to brush over the ceiling to remove dust, spider webs or any loose dirt. This may be more necessary if the house has not been occupied for a couple of weeks or months.
Spackle the Nicks
You can use a small amount of Spackle compound to fix any small nicks in the ceiling.
Patch Holes
if you have a hole or two in the panels that cannot be repaired with just Spackle, consider using a ceiling hole repair kit. The kit comes with thin sheets of metal which is breakable, as well as mesh tape. I had one room with a hole in the ceiling where I needed to use this kit. The kit retails for under $5 and can be found in the hardware section of any discount retailer.
Remove Fixtures
Remove ceiling fans, ceiling-mounted fixtures and smoke alarms before painting. It may seem easier to leave them up, but it’s not.
Supplies for Painting Ceiling Panels
In order to paint ceiling panels properly you will need to buy a paint brush extender. I found one with three parts which screwed into each other, making a long pole. One end of the pole had another screw in area for a paint brush roller.
Tip: Buy the extender the same time you buy the paint roller. The only paint roller handle which fit into the extender I bought was a wooden-handled one.
You will also need a new paint roller, a paint tray, a wide paint brush, a ladder for edging, and the interior primer of your choice. If paint odor is not an issue for you, try Kilz.
Painting the Ceiling Panels with Interior Paint Primer
Edge it Out
Before applying the interior paint primer to the ceiling, the edging needs to be done. If you will not be painting the walls, carefully edge out the ceiling along the wall. Use an edging or trim brush to paint the ceiling where the wall meets the ceiling.
If there is molding of any type, also paint that with the primer if you want it white.
Roll on the Interior Primer
Start in one corner of the room and work your way around the room.
After the edging is done, attach the paint roller handle to the extender. Roll it in the pan of paint. Roll off the excess paint by using the slanted surface of the tray. Apply the paint by rolling the roller along the ceiling in one direction. Roll it until the roller does not roll smoothly which means you need more paint.
Apply the next roll of interior primer paint so it overlaps the paint you just applied.
Tip: To ensure that the interior primer paint is applied to the grooves between the panels, also go over the paint in the opposite direction.
Continue until the room is complete. Apply a second coat if needed.
