| Home improvement can be a bit intimidating if | | | | expensive. Cover any areas of the wall that you |
| you've never taken on a big renovation project | | | | don't want to paint, i.e. door frames, window |
| before. But there are many DIY home | | | | frames, etc, with quick-release painter's tape. |
| improvement projects that are easier to do than | | | | Apply the Primer |
| you think. Why pay a contractor when you can | | | | Priming the ceiling before applying the actual paint |
| save money and experience the rewarding feeling | | | | is highly recommended. It'll make the coat of paint |
| of finishing a home improvement project | | | | last longer and will ensure that you only have to |
| yourself? In this article, we'll focus on a very | | | | apply one coat. Use primer with stain-blocker if |
| simple home improvement procedure that anyone | | | | you can. |
| can do: painting your ceiling. | | | | Start With a Cut-In Line |
| Getting the Right Tools | | | | After the primer has dried, start by painting a 2 |
| To prepare for this task, it's important to get the | | | | to 3-inch strip of paint along the space where the |
| right tools. A good roller with an extension handle | | | | wall meets the ceiling. This is called the cut-in line, |
| is essential for making the job easier, allowing you | | | | and it will make painting with a roller easier, as it'll |
| to paint comfortably while standing on the floor | | | | provide you with a more manageable border. Use |
| instead of on a ladder. If you have textured | | | | a brush and a step ladder and start with the |
| ceiling, you'll want to get a thick-nap roller to | | | | corner of the shortest length of ceiling. |
| make sure you reach the spaces between the | | | | Painting the Ceiling |
| bumps of the texture. If you have a smooth | | | | After the cut-in line (and while it's still wet) take |
| ceiling, a smooth short-nap roller works best. | | | | out the roller and start painting. Make sure to roll |
| Preparing the Room | | | | the roller back and forth in the shallow part of the |
| Start by removing all the furniture from the room | | | | tray to get rid of excess paint after you've |
| (or as much of it as possible) before you start | | | | dipped it. This will give you an even coverage on |
| painting. Cover the floors and remaining furniture | | | | the roller. Paint in a zigzag pattern, and then go |
| with newspaper or, if you can, canvas cloth, | | | | over it with straight strokes to fill in the gaps and |
| which works better and is reusable, though a bit | | | | even the paint out. |