Step-by-step guide: How to paint a ceiling

Think painting the ceiling will be a pain in the neck? Think again. With the right tools, it’s a job that can be tackled by any keen DIY-er, and a lick of paint overhead will bring any room to life. Just follow these simple ceiling painting tips…

Putting roller to plaster can be a messy business, especially when it’s overhead work. But with these ceiling painting tips – including advice on how to use a paint roller and how to cut in – you can get the job done quickly, cleanly and get a great finish. 

You’ll need 

• Dust sheets
• Sturdy ladder
• Clean broom
• Old clothes, safety glasses and baseball cap
• Sandpaper and filler (for holes and cracks)
• Sponge mop and bucket
• Masking tape (2.5+” wide if possible)
• Paint
• Paint tray and kettle
• 2”-4” angled brush for cutting in
• 9” roller 
• Extension pole

White emulsion is the popular choice but don’t be afraid to try colour.  A bold ceiling with white walls can add drama to a room, while using the same shade for all surfaces is bang on trend.  Checkout our inspiration pages for ideas.

Top tip: If you do choose to repaint a white ceiling white, angle some lights towards the ceiling so it’s easier to see where you’ve painted. 

Cover things up

• Clear out the furniture or place everything in the middle of the room and cover with a dust sheet. Protect the floor, too. 
• Don’t forget yourself! Cover up with old clothes, safety glasses and a baseball cap. (Getting paint out of your hair is not an easy business.)

The ceiling rarely gets a look in when it comes to spring cleaning, so give it a wash and brush up before you begin. 

• Remove cobwebs with a long-handled broom.
• Fill obvious holes or cracks with filler, wait for it to dry, sand down and wipe to remove dust.
• Carefully remove any light fixtures and fittings to save them from paint splashes.
• If it’s very grimy, wash the ceiling down with a sugar soap solution, using a long-handled sponge mop and bucket. 

This step is all about protecting the areas you don’t want to paint, and using wider masking tape can help you avoid those easy-to-make paint-splash slip-ups. If you’re painting the whole room, start with the ceiling, then any drips will be covered up with the wall paint. Make sure your ladder is sturdy and tall enough – stretching to reach is uncomfortable and unsafe. 

• Run tape around the perimeter of the room, where the wall meets the ceiling. Press down firmly so paint can’t seep through. 
• Tape carefully around mouldings and light fittings.

‘Cutting in’ sounds complicated but it just means going around the edges with a brush before you fill in with the roller. It’s the best way of reaching the parts your roller can’t reach. Need help with how to cut in? Follow the steps below and find out more in our "How to cut in paint" advice article. 

• Pour some paint into a small tray or kettle and keep it at the top of your ladder so you don’t have to keep going up and down. 
• With a small, angled brush, paint around the edge of the ceiling up to the masking tape. Start an inch or two away from the edge and slowly move the brush towards the wall to spread the paint out evenly.  
• Paint around the light fittings in the same way.

What’s the best paint roller for ceilings? It depends what effect you want. For smooth or newly plastered ceilings^*, the best roller sleeve (that’s the fluffy thing you load up with paint) has a medium pile. This will add a little texture so, if you’re after a super-smooth finish, use a short-pile or smooth foam sleeve instead.

Not sure how to use a paint roller on the ceiling? Follow these steps:

• Pour paint in your tray and attach the extension pole. 
• Load up the roller with paint. Run it up and down the tray a few times to give an even coverage of paint, but not too much. 
• Starting in one corner of the room, work from the outside in using smooth, parallel strokes. Roll the paint as evenly as possible in sections of about a metre, moving quickly so that one section doesn’t dry out before you get to the next. Slightly overlap each section to avoid lines.
• Without loading your roller with paint, go over the wet sections again with a lighter touch to smooth out drips and streaks.  
• Wait for the paint to dry and apply a second coat.
• Carefully peel off the masking tape while the paint is still wet.

• Clean your roller, tray and brush thoroughly (you can find more cleaning tips in our dedicated advice article).
• If the worst does happen and you get paint splashes on your carpet or clothes, don’t despair. Find out how to get paint out of clothes and carpets, in or article on the subject. 

^*If your ceiling has just been plastered, make sure it’s fully dry before painting – our How to paint new plaster article tells you how.