As a homeowner, you are lucky to snag a place with high walls and ceilings, as those types of homes feel spacious, inviting, open, and free – a perfect setting to raise a family and decorate to your liking. However, at some point, the walls and the ceiling will be up for a well-deserved, thorough re-painting project, which can seem like a daunting and expensive task.
Applying a fresh coat of paint every couple of years is a great way to freshen up your living environment and bring it back to its former glory, and if you use the right tools and follow a few simple steps, you can finish a room in a single afternoon. Here is the expert guide on how to paint high walls and ceilings.
The tools you’ll need
Before you begin, you will need a set of tools to make the entire project easy, fun, and straightforward. You will need drop cloths or tarps to cover up the furniture, some mild detergent, a primer/sealer, ceiling paint, an extension pole, a scaffold, some painter’s tape, clean cloths, a paintbrush, a roller, interior paint, and a box fan.
These tools and equipment will help you get the job done in record time, but more importantly, they will allow you to do the job thoroughly. There’s nothing worse than realising you’ve missed a spot or leaving paint marks and discolorations on the walls, so make sure you have the essentials ready to rock.
Prepare the room for painting
Next, you’ll need to prep the room for painting. You first want to move all of the furniture to the centre of the room so that it doesn’t get in the way and to minimize the chance of accidental paint splashes. Make sure to cover up the furniture with cloths or tarps, and then proceed to cover the floor with tarps as well, fastening them down with painter’s tape.
Secondly, make your way to the main electrical panel and turn off the power in the room. You can then remove the electrical fixtures. Be sure to mark the breaker switch with a piece of tape to prevent anyone from switching it back on while you’re painting. Wash the walls and ceiling with clean cloths damped in mild detergent and warm water. Leave the surface to dry for an hour.
Choose the right scaffolding
While you could work with a ladder, keep in mind that ladders are not the best option when working at height for prolonged periods of time. Additionally, ladders can be quite unstable, with insufficient room to keep your tools and the inability to reach the highest spots.
Instead, you want to opt for an aluminium kwikstage modular scaffolding that is sturdy and can be adapted to fit any setting and any project. Aluminium scaffoldings are durable, and they have a flat surface where you can keep all of your necessities, minimizing the risk of falls and slips. Make sure the scaffold is secured tightly in place before climbing up.
Paint the ceiling
Start with the ceiling and work your way down. Mark the perimeter of the ceiling with painter’s tape so as not to paint the walls by accident. Begin by priming the surface with a primer/sealer. You can even outline the edges of the ceiling with an angled paint brush first.
Use the roller attached to an extension pole to increase your reach. After the primer has dried, proceed to dip the roller in the deep end of the tray, rolling it back to get rid of excess paint. You then want to start rolling out 6-ft. square sections on the ceiling, working in overlapping “W” strokes from right to left, and then back with horizontal strokes. Let the paint dry for a couple of hours.
Paint the walls
Before you start painting, you want to apply a coat of primer in order to make the paint adhere properly. Primers are also necessary when painting in bright, striking colours such as yellow or orange, or when you’re painting light hues over dark walls.
Make sure the room is properly ventilated to eliminate the paint fumes and let it dry faster. Begin painting from top to bottom in “W” shaped strokes, eventually covering the entire wall with paint. Be sure to tend to any missed spots while the paint is still wet, rolling in the same direction as you did at the beginning.
And that’s all there is to it. After you’re done, leave the paint to dry for the afternoon before putting the furniture back in its place. Clean up the room and remove the tarps and protective gear, making sure you don’t bump anything into the walls while cleaning. The only thing left to do now is to enjoy your fresh paint job.