| Ugly, brown stains are a common feature of | | | | match for your ceiling tiles. |
| mobile home ceilings. They develop when roof | | | | |
| leaks or condensation cause water to drip | | | | While you are shopping you may also want to |
| onto the ceiling tiles from above. | | | | buy some of the blue masking tape. It costs |
| | | | more than standard masking tape, but comes |
| They persist because because removal is not | | | | off when you are done, without leaving |
| as simple as painting over the stain. The | | | | adhesive behind or pulling anything off when |
| stain "bleeds" through paint leaving it as | | | | it peels away. |
| ugly as before. In addition, many mobile home | | | | |
| ceilings are made with a sprayed on | | | | At home, mask the area you plan to spray and |
| acoustical texture which is VERY fragile. | | | | put an old sheet or something on the floor. |
| Painting it with a roller or brushing on a | | | | Then follow the directions on the can to do |
| heavy latex paint is a good way to pull off | | | | the actual spraying. Two light coats with |
| some of the texture, leaving a bare, | | | | adequate drying time between them is better |
| untextured area. Fortunately, stains are easy | | | | than one heavy coat. |
| to cover if you have the right materials. | | | | |
| | | | In most cases the color of the new area will |
| There is no point in doing the repair until | | | | be close enough to the old that no dditional |
| you are sure the leak is fixed and your | | | | topcoat is needed. The fact is, people seldom |
| ceiling has dried completely! Then go to your | | | | look up. With the really bvious stain gone |
| local paint store or home improvement center | | | | there will be nothing to draw the eye to what |
| paint dept. and look for an aerosol can | | | | is probably a very subtile difference in |
| labeled "Stain sealing ceiling paint" or | | | | color. |
| something close to that. Two brands I know of | | | | |
| are "Kilz" and "Zinsser". It will be made to | | | | The repair described here will cover water |
| spray straight up and only comes in one | | | | stains on ceiling tiles or wallboard |
| color. Hopefully, the color will be a good | | | | anywhere, not just in mobile homes. |