How to paint the ceiling with acrylic paint yourself

How to paint the ceiling with acrylic paint

Today we will look at how to paint the ceiling with acrylic paint. This dye has recently appeared in retail, but has already gained popularity. Today we will consider what acrylic paint is best for the ceiling, because there are several types. Also on the video in this article you can see the progress of the work visually and do it yourself.

The content of the article

What attracts to acrylic
The choice of acrylic paint for the ceiling
Surface preparation
Preparation of the coloring composition
Tool selection
What to look for

What attracts to acrylic

Currently, one of the most versatile and popular means for painting the ceiling are acrylic compositions. At a low cost, they have many advantages and occupy a leading position in the market of coloring compounds.

The advantages of acrylic-based coloring compounds, of course, include:

Short drying time. Acrylic-based paints form a resistant and durable film, resistant to abrasion, pollution and other harmful environmental influences.
Excellent covering ability. Paint applied in several layers is able to close small cracks.
UV resistant and the ability to permanently maintain the original color.
Excellent fire protection. Acrylic painted surfaces easily tolerate high temperatures and are resistant to fire.
Moisture resistance. Resistance to steam and moisture makes it possible to use acrylic paints to decorate bathrooms and other rooms with high humidity. Surfaces coated with them are easy to clean with any detergent.
Lack of unpleasant chemical smellcharacteristic of other coloring agents.
Easy application process. These formulations relate to water emulsion formulations and are diluted with plain water. You can apply the paint with a brush, roller or using a spray.
A wide range of color shades. Acrylic paints of almost any color existing in nature are on sale. In addition, these compounds are easily mixed with each other or diluted with white paint to obtain the desired tone.
Affordable price. The cost of 3 kilograms of acrylic paint for the ceiling from various manufacturers ranges from an average of 150 to 800 rubles.
Possibility of application on almost any surface: brick, concrete, plaster, wood, glass and so on.
Acrylic is an environmentally friendly material. The absence of toxic secretions makes it a priority for use in child care facilities and rooms where people with allergies are located. It is possible to work with acrylic compositions without respirators.

Attention: The price of the material is not small, but it is offset by the quality of the coating.

The choice of acrylic paint for the ceiling

Currently, the most popular are water-based acrylic compositions made on the basis of acrylic resins. Their indisputable advantage is excellent elasticity and covering ability. In addition, there is a large selection of water-dispersible, vinyl acrylic, acrylic silicone and other compositions on the basis of which are various copolymers.

Modern acrylic paints are quite diverse and represent many varieties of compositions. They vary in their density, decorative and operational qualities.There are compositions designed for a variety of types of work: dry or wet rooms, painting walls and ceilings, outdoor work, and so on. One of the important conditions for quality work with acrylic paints is their use strictly for its intended purpose.
On sale, an acrylic composition for painting the ceiling is usually found in white. The desired shade is achieved by adding a special color scheme. Colors of almost all colors are widely represented in construction and hardware stores. At the same time, paints from ready-made tones are on sale.
According to the degree of whiteness, all acrylic compositions are divided into three varieties: white, super white, milky white. Painting the ceiling is usually done with superwhite paint. However, color may vary by manufacturer.
If you need maximum whiteness, then compare the paint solution with a sheet of white paper for office equipment.
The dullness of the paint coating is of great importance when painting the ceiling. Matte surfaces can hide minor work defects: bumps, cracks and so on.
A colored ceiling, on the contrary, looks more advantageous in a glossy version. This option is ideal for large and even surfaces.
Among domestic and foreign manufacturers, companies have proven themselves: Tex, Dulux, Caparol, Tikkurila, Siro mat plus, Innetak, Himaton, Himos, Svyatozar, Supermatt.

Surface preparation

And now, directly, how to paint the ceiling without streaks with acrylic paint. First of all, the ceiling plane must be completely cleaned.

It is better to prepare the room for painting in the following sequence:

We are preparing the plane

To take out especially valuable things that can be stained out of the room;
Close the floor, furniture and interior items remaining in the room with polyethylene or thick paper;
Wear work clothes, a hat, glasses, gloves;
Thoroughly clean the ceiling of old whitewash, dirt, dust with a large brush or roller moistened with water;
When cleaning the surface, pay special attention to joints and corners; they must be washed with a hard brush;
Glossy surfaces, for better adhesion of the paint, must be washed with detergent and treated with sandpaper No. 8;
Peel and repair cracks and bumps with putty (seeWhich putty is better - features of the choice of mixture);
The surface should be coated with one or two primers to increase the adhesion of the paint and to avoid the appearance of fungus and bacteria;
Choosing a primer (seeTypes of construction primers and their scope) it must be taken into account that it must be fully compatible with the putty;
A completely dry and even ceiling is cleaned with sandpaper, creating a rough surface for applying the paint composition;
Immediately before painting, installation of functional and decorative elements is carried out: sockets, leads for lamps and chandeliers, baguettes, borders, and so on;
The above listed items must be protected from contamination when painting with masking tape or in any other way.

Preparation of the coloring composition

Before you start painting the ceiling with acrylic paint, you need to properly prepare the coloring composition. The quality of the paintwork will depend on the consistency of the paint.

Attention: It is inconvenient to work with too liquid a composition: it will drain from the brush and drip onto the floor. Thick paint is also poorly applied, leaving noticeable stripes and joints between layers.

Paint should be diluted with water to the condition specified by the manufacturer. It is better to water the water gradually, mixing thoroughly until the required density is achieved. This can be done manually or using a special construction mixer.
The manufacturer usually indicates the exact amount of water needed to dilute the paint.As a rule, this is 5-15% of the total composition. There are many brands that do not need to be diluted. On the banks of such paint is written "mix". To prepare for use, you just need to mix it thoroughly, making sure that there are no clots and lumps. The best consistency for acrylic is considered to be the condition of heavy milk or cream.
When opening the cans of paint on its surface, you can find a film. This film should not be mixed with the rest of the substance so that clots do not form. The film is carefully removed. If small particles remain in the paint, then it is filtered and mixed until a homogeneous composition is obtained.
In order to prevent the occurrence of fungus and mold, special components are added to the coloring composition. Currently, they are widely represented in construction stores and choosing the appropriate one will not be difficult.

Tool selection

For quick and high-quality painting of the ceiling with acrylic paint, you will need the following tools and accessories:

Paint roller (seePaint rollers: consider in detail) They are applied a primer or the paint itself;
Bath for working with a roller;
Flat paint brush for painting hard-to-reach spots;
Extension handle for working with a roller from the floor;
Putty knife for putting putty and cleaning the old coating;
Masking tape to protect decorative elements and differentiate zones of different colors.

Ceiling work can be done with a roller, brush or spray gun. The brush is usually used on small surfaces. For a large ceiling, it is advisable to choose a roller or spray gun.

Brush painting

The main problem when working with a brush is dripping paint. In order to avoid it, you can attach a small foam roller to the handle, which will absorb the dripping paint. It is recommended to keep the brush slightly at an angle to the surface during painting.

When typing the paint composition on the brush, it is necessary to ensure that the bristles do not touch the bottom and do not deform, the handle of the tool is not dirty. You should also remove excess paint by occasionally shaking the tool.

Dye application

The basic principles of the brush are as follows:

The movements should be wide and even. The handle of the brush is located as close as possible to the painted surface. The angle of inclination between the ceiling tool should be gradually increased. With uniform, wide strokes, the paint is applied to the surface. Then the paint strips are shaded with shorter and smaller movements.
To achieve the greatest smoothness of the painted surface, strokes should be applied cross to cross. You need to do this with two two strokes in one place.
When working with a brush, it is necessary to turn it from time to time to avoid uneven wear and deformation of the bristles. You should also avoid drying the paint on the brush, this will lead to damage to the tool and its unsuitability for further work
After finishing work or taking breaks in it, you need to thoroughly wash and dry the brush.

Paint the ceiling with a roller

The choice of roller for painting the ceiling depends on the convenience of work and the size of the room. As a rule, a medium-sized tool is used, capable of applying fairly wide streaks of paint.

To work with a roller, you need to prepare a special bath in which the coloring composition is poured.

Roller painting technology:

The bathtub is half filled with paint. A roller is immersed in it. It should be completely saturated with the coloring compound.
Then the tool should be rid of excess paint and evenly distribute it on the work surface. This is done by rolling on a special mesh or ribbed surface of the bath. This procedure will allow you to achieve a uniform coating without spots of unpainted spots.
Roller movements are carried out on their own.The tool should be held at an angle of 45 degrees.
The pressure on the roller should not be too strong to avoid drips of paint.
Strips of paint are located crosswise. This will create a flat surface without traces of a roller.
After work, the roller must be thoroughly washed and dried.

Rules for painting the ceiling

Before painting the ceiling with acrylic paint, practice on a small area. This will allow you to adjust the pressure and the amount of paint drawn onto the tool. At first, it is better to apply light pressure, increasing it as the paint is consumed.

It is better to start work from the corners and sections of the adjoining ceiling to the walls. They are carefully stained with a small roller or a flat brush. Try not to apply the composition in one place several times. Otherwise, you risk getting a heterogeneous surface.
Then proceed to painting the main surface of the ceiling. Apply the paint in even strips in one direction, avoiding dry unpainted areas.
The second layer of the coloring composition is applied after the first has completely dried. This is done in the perpendicular direction to the first. Then, the wrinkled joints smooth the joints between the strips of paint.
Before applying the second layer, you should evaluate the quality of the work performed and correct the deficiencies.
Do not cover unpainted areas with a thicker composition. This will create ugly spots. On the contrary, the second layer should be more liquid than the first, in order to blur the first and eliminate the flaws. Sites that have been painted twice must be shaded with a damp roller.
The second layer is applied only after the first has completely dried. Usually, the instructions for use indicate the exact drying time of the paint layer. If the temperature in the building is lower than indicated in the instructions, add a few more hours to the main time. The ceiling is usually painted with 2-3 coats of paint. Each subsequent layer is applied only after the previous one has completely dried.
The last paint coat is applied perpendicular to the plane of the windows if they are located on the same wall or towards the center of the room if the windows are on different walls.
When applying the final layer, carefully ensure that there are no joints between the strokes and other defects.
After painting the ceiling with acrylic paint, check the quality of the work performed. Wait a few hours and check the color uniformity over the entire surface. If spots are found, this flaw will help correct the grinding of the ceiling with fine sandpaper. To do this, it is convenient to use emery paper mounted on a bar. It is necessary to grind the entire ceiling, otherwise the spots will be noticeable.
Complete drying of the surface of the ceiling should occur naturally. Do not use heaters. Drafts and direct sunlight should also be avoided. Therefore, after completion of work, it is necessary to close the windows. Otherwise, the ceiling will dry unevenly.

What to look for

There are several errors that experts recommend paying attention to:

Acrylic is better not to apply on fresh plaster. It is necessary to wait about 2 weeks;
Painting is not recommended at temperatures below + 5 ° C and above + 27 ° C;
Frozen acrylic paint after thawing is unsuitable for use;
If unused paint remains in the can, it should not be left open.

Additionally, look at the photos and videos, they will help you prevent other mistakes when doing the work.