How to paint the ceiling with water-based paint?

Repair work related to finishing the ceiling structure is of particular importance, since this surface is always in sight, so any defect will be visible immediately. Ceiling decoration can be carried out using a variety of paints, but the most popular today is water-based, since it is not only easy to use, but also safe. But do not forget that this paint has its own characteristics, which consist not only in the composition, but also in the methods of application to the surface.

The main component of water-based paint is water. It is in it that particles of matter are dissolved. Some give a shade to the surface: these are pigments, while others contribute to the formation of a protective film. After applying the composition to the surface, the water evaporates and the substances dissolved in it form a strong film.

The composition of the paint can include a variety of substances.that improve the properties of a particular type. Thickeners, antiseptics, antifreezes, defoamers and other additives are used as additives.

The most common source of white is zinc oxide. Titanium dioxide is sometimes added. In inexpensive brands, they use chalk, as they did many years ago. Also, minerals such as barite, calcite, mica, talc are used as dyes. In modern paints, as a rule, minerals can be added in a complex manner, thus improving the properties of the paint.

All water-based paints have a percentage of input substances, where the film former accounts for 50%, pigments and fillers 37%, plasticizers 7%, and other additives about 6%.

Today there are several varieties of water-based paint.

The most inexpensive are those that include a substance such as polyvinyl acetate. An emulsion based on polyvinyl acetate is used mainly in rooms with a low level of humidity, since this composition does not tolerate moisture well: the surface treated with it cannot be washed.

For concrete and stone areas, paint is used, which includes liquid glass. This type belongs to silicate paints.

Silicone-based paints are able to level the surface with small cracks (up to 2 mm) without pretreatment. The ceiling, treated with silicone paint, is water resistant, so it can be used for kitchens or bathrooms.

Emulsions containing acrylic resins are suitable for all surfaces. The ceiling will turn into a flat surface that is resistant to moisture and temperature extremes. The composition of acrylic paints allows hiding small cracks, and the surface itself is resistant to the effects of gentle detergents.

In order to choose the right paint, you need to pay attention to its characteristics, indicated by the manufacturer on the can with this composition.

Usually manufacturers indicate the composition of the paint and the type of material.for which it is intended. For surfaces made of concrete, brick, stone, wood and drywall, there are different types of emulsions.The most versatile is acrylic paint. It is suitable for all surfaces, including painting ceiling tiles. After all, there is not always the opportunity and desire to change the ceiling surface completely, sometimes it is enough to just update it, and paint with acrylic resins will perfectly cope with this task.

Manufacturers always indicate in the annotation for which premises the paint is suitable. Here, the level of humidity in the room and the degree of required surface resistance to detergents play an important role. Antiseptic and antifungal components in the emulsion are of great importance if the ceiling is located in a room with high humidity, to which the bathroom belongs. The presence of these components will protect the ceiling surface from mold and will extend the service life.

The choice of paint also depends on how you can take care of the ceiling surface after painting. Manufacturers produce three types of composition, on which the method of caring for the ceiling surface depends.

The composition that forms the washable coating is not suitable for wet cleaning, therefore, such a ceiling can only be maintained with a dry cloth or vacuum cleaner. The remaining two types of leave-in composition tolerate wet cleaning well. One type of composition does not tolerate the effects of detergents, therefore, the ceiling surface is cleaned with plain water. And the other composition is resistant to cleaning agents, so the ceiling can be washed using a suitable detergent.

Manufacturers produce a wide variety of paints that give the surface a matte, semi-matte, deep matte, glossy and semi-gloss shade.

It also helps to hide some small flaws in the ceiling. But it is worth remembering that caring for such a ceiling is somewhat more difficult than for a glossy one. The glossy surface has a more presentable appearance, lasts longer, but any defect on it is noticeable. The golden mean is the choice of an emulsion that gives a semi-matt or semi-glossy surface to the ceiling.

When buying paint for more than one can, you should pay attention to the batch number: it affects the shade of the mixture. All purchased cans must be under the same number in order to exclude different shades on the surface of the ceiling.

For painting and preparing the ceiling surface, you will need to purchase a number of tools, which you cannot do without during all work.

Today there are many rollers of various sizes and materials. Foam rollers are the least suitable for applying paint, as bubbles can form on the ceiling surface due to the porosity of the material. The velor spinning base allows for an economical use of the mixture, but such rollers require perfect surface preparation.

The best option is a roller with a fur base.where the pile can be either medium or above medium length. The short-nap roller is not able to absorb the required amount of paint, so you will have to dip it into the paint more often. Rollers with long pile have a different problem: they absorb too much emulsion. Because of this, smudges may form on the surface.

Rollers are used to paint a large surface area, and in order to paint over hard-to-reach places (corners, seams, joints), it is better to use brushes of small width. As a rule, a pile base width of 4 cm is sufficient.

But it is worth remembering that a spray gun is more expensive than a regular roller. If painting the ceiling is not your main activity, then it is better to limit yourself to buying cheaper tools.

Using a brush or roller, a cuvette is impossible to do without. It helps to economically use paint. This container consists of two compartments. In one, the paint is poured, and the other with a corrugated side allows it to be distributed over the entire surface of the roller base. The paint lies flat on the ceiling surface without smudges, excess mixture remains in the cuvette.

An important device when painting the ceiling is a stepladder. The presence of a stepladder allows you to approach the ceiling surface at the most convenient distance. But do not forget that the ladder will have to be moved from time to time. In order to facilitate the work, you can use a special roller with a telescopic handle.

To prepare the ceiling surface, you will need plastic wrap. By covering all surfaces and furniture that cannot be removed, splashes of paint can be avoided.

Other tools may also be required for preparatory work. Cleaning and further preparation is carried out with a spatula, sandpaper, bucket and foam sponge.

Before preparatory work, you need to understand one rule: any old coating needs to be removed, since there is a high probability of peeling off the old paint when applying a new coating. Regardless of whether the old layer holds well or badly, and what kind of paint was on the ceiling.

A properly prepared ceiling covering is the key to a flat, smooth surface without the slightest flaw. As preparatory measures, it is necessary, if possible, to take out the existing furniture in the room and cover the open surfaces with foil or old newspapers. You can use masking tape to fix the protective coatings. Now you should start preparing the ceiling, using suitable tools for these works.

Ceiling cleaning is always done depending on the type of paint. Surfaces coated with water-based paints or wallpaper are easiest to clean. Solvent-based paint ceilings are more difficult to clean, but will still have to be removed.

In order to remove the easily lagging old layer, it is enough to keep the surface moist for 20-30 minutes. For layers that are difficult to lag, it is better to increase the dampening time, and to facilitate the task, you can open the windows and doors in the room, making a draft.

The swollen layer of paint must be cleaned off with a spatula. With solvent-based paints, you won't be able to quickly clean the surface, you have to tinker. For relief, solvents or other agents can be used to aid in the treatment of the surface.

After that, it is necessary to wash off the remnants of paint or wallpaper using water and a sponge. The dried surface must be carefully examined for the presence of various stains. You can use effective means to remove them.These include a 3% hydrochloric acid solution, a 5% copper sulfate solution and a composition in which lime with denatured alcohol is present in an amount of 50 ml.

In order to level the ceiling surface and give it a smooth shape, it is necessary to use a fine-grained gypsum plaster. It is flexible and adheres well to all materials. First you need to treat the ceiling with a primer. In addition, existing cracks need to be putty.

Then you can proceed to the continuous application of the puttyusing a special wide spatula. A spatula is also used to take the mixture from the container, but its surface has a narrower base than the main tool. With a product with a narrow base, the mixture is collected, and then transferred to the main instrument. Only then is it applied to the ceiling surface.

At the end of the leveling process, you need to wait for the surface to dry. Then you can start sanding the ceiling. For this work, a special abrasive mesh with fine meshes is used. Thanks to this cellular structure, the surface becomes even and very smooth.

Ceiling surface treatment prior to direct emulsion application is a must. The emulsion adheres better to the ceiling surface. In addition, the likelihood of the appearance of such defects as cracks and swelling of the applied layer is excluded.

Each emulsion has its own type of primer. The basic substances involved in the formation of a film on the surface must be identical to those contained in the primer. But you can prepare a solution for priming the surface yourself. To do this, you just need to dilute the prepared paint with water in equal proportions.

It is better to prime the surface several times. As a rule, two times is enough to prepare the ceiling for paint application. After each primer, it is necessary to wait until the layer is completely dry.

Before painting, it is imperative to check the consistency of the mixture. Water-based paint is poured by manufacturers into cans, which indicate how much water needs to be added before use. As a rule, water must be added immediately before painting, after stirring the contents of the can. The amount of water added to the container should not exceed 10% of the total mass of the emulsion.

The mixing and dilution process should be done slowly and gradually. Water is poured into the container in small portions, mixed thoroughly. There should be no lumps or lumps in the mixture. Before painting the main surface, it is advisable to check the consistency of the prepared emulsion in a small area. Only then can you start the main painting.

There is an indicator that affects the cost of work and the density of the layer. Different types of emulsions have their own consumption per 1 m2.

This table shows the consumption for the first coat applied to the ceiling surface. Less paint is required for the second layer, so all of the above indicators have lower values:

Observing certain rules and following step-by-step instructions, you can achieve high-quality coating of the ceiling surface with your own hands.

Any painting, as a rule, starts from a certain place. The ceiling surface is no exception. In this case, you first need to paint the joints of the ceiling plate with the wall, starting from the far corner relative to the door. To do this, you need to walk along the perimeter of the surface with a paintbrush. The width of the painted surface should be at least 5 cm. Such a margin will help protect problem areas from excess paint.

The main application of the layer should start perpendicular to the window opening. The starting point is at the window. In the next step, paint should be applied in a different direction, namely parallel to the window. The final layer should be applied in the direction of the window, starting from the doorway.

After applying the first layer of emulsion, it is necessary to withstand a certain time. Typically, the ceiling surface dries for at least 8-12 hours. The second coat should not be applied earlier than the specified date.

When drying the ceiling, it is worth excluding the possibility of sunlight hitting the surface. In addition, during this period it is worth taking care of the absence of drafts, otherwise spots may form on the surface, and the ceiling will have to be repainted.

The step-by-step process of painting the ceiling is as follows:

1. A small amount of the paint, stirred and brought to a certain consistency, is poured from the can into the cuvette. The prepared roller is moistened in the mixture and then, for uniform distribution of the composition, is carried out over the corrugated surface.
2. The layer overlay starts from the far corner located on the left side of the window opening. We carefully paint over the ceiling. After the first run, we change the direction, while monitoring the quality of the layer. Correctly applied layer should be uniform, without visible transitions.
3. If excess paint appears on the surface, then they can be removed by rolling a roller over the corrugated surface of the cuvette.
4. Before the third time, you can change the rotating part of the roller to a new one. This will help improve the quality of the layer.

Very often people have a question: is it possible to paint the ceiling surface if it has an old layer of whitewash that adheres well? How will the new emulsion lay down? Will it last for a long time?

It is better to clean the surface from the old layer, but if it has a low density and holds firm enough, and the surface itself is free from defects, then the ceiling can be painted without removing the previous layer. Such an approach to surface painting will even save not only money, but also the time required to apply the second layer of the emulsion.

But there are some nuances that must be taken into account before applying paint. The old coat should be primed for better adhesion.

It is better to clean off a thick layer of old whitewash to prevent shedding or peeling of the new layer of paint.

Painting the ceiling takes a lot of time, so everyone wants the process to go through without additional spending of money and effort, and the result is pleasing. But sometimes excesses do happen. In order to avoid some mistakes, there are a number of recommendations, following which you can avoid many problems.

After this time, the water contained in the emulsion begins to evaporate intensively, and visible transitions can form at the joints of the dried layer.

The presence of good lighting makes it possible to view the painted surface from any angle. You need to turn on the lighting even in the daytime. So you can control the places where paint is applied, without missing even a small area. It is also worth remembering about the heating system, it is better to cover the batteries.

But sometimes the paint is unevenly distributed over the surface, after which areas with different shades from the rest of the surface are formed. To eliminate such an error, it is imperative to observe the directionality when staining.

Re-painting is not always able to correct the situation, so sometimes you have to clean problem areas with sandpaper. Only a new coat of paint will help to freshen the surface. If all efforts are in vain, then you will have to repaint the ceiling again, and the surface must be cleaned and washed again before painting.

For information on how to properly prepare and paint the ceiling with water-based paint, see the next video.