Paint Old Ceilings
Painting older ceilings takes extra preparation although a new coat of paint can refresh the aged surface. The process involves cleaning the ceiling, removing paint flakes and applying several coats of primer and paint. Ceilings should always be painted before painting the walls or trim in a home.
Instructions
Paint Old Ceilings
1. Determine if the ceiling has lead based-paint. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development most homes built before 1978 have lead paint. If the home was built on or before this time do not remove or scrap loose paint. Test for lead paint using a kit that can be purchased at a local hardware store. Many local health departments will test for lead paint for free. If the lead test comes back positive, ask for assistance from the local health department on remove or cover the lead paint.
2. Remove any peeling paint. Use a scraper tool to lightly pull back any loose articles of paint, or plaster. Wire or steel brushes work best. Sand rough areas. Wipe ceiling with damp cloth to clean off any dust or dirt. Use a vacuum cleaner to remove cobwebs from ceiling corners.
3. Skim coat any uneven areas. Using a palette knife, lightly dip into drywall plaster. Smooth away, allowing plaster to fill in gap. Cracks in the ceiling can be filled in with a polyseamseal caulking compound, found in most hardware stores. Once dry, lightly sand. Wipe away any drywall dust.
4. Move furniture and accessories out of room. Place drop clothes on all ground surfaces. Remove any window treatments or cover with plastic.
5. Prime walls with two coats of stain blocking primer. Old ceilings can contain several layers of paint and plaster. The primer will seal any chemicals that could potentially leach through the surface. After the initial primer coat, lightly sand ceiling using a sanding pole. Wipe away dust, and apply the second coat. Primer can be applied using a roller or sprayed on.
6. Follow primer coats with acrylic paint in desired shade. Ceilings are generally painted using a flat sheen level. A flat paint will not reflect light as much as a glossy sheen level.
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