Table of Contents
- View The Best Ceiling Paint Below
- Ceiling Paint Buyer’s Guide
- What to Look for When Buying Ceiling Paints
- How to Paint your Ceiling
- How To Start
- What Does “Flashing” Mean?
- What Tools to Use for Ceiling Painting?
- What Brand Has the Best Ceiling Paint Reputation?
- Do I Have to Use Ceiling Paint Specifically? Can I Use Wall Paint or Others?
- What Does VOC Mean?
- How are Some Paints Recyclable?
- What Color Should I Paint My Ceiling?
- Conclusion
The time comes around for everyone when it’s time to paint your ceiling. The best ceiling paint for you will depend on exactly what kind of thing you want to be done.
Sometimes there are a couple of minor blemishes on your living room drywall ceiling, but sometimes you may simply want to redo the paint color completely. Whatever you need it for, we have compiled a list of some of the best ceiling paints you can get below.
We hope you find this guide useful.
View The Best Ceiling Paint Below
1. Prestige Interior Paint and Primer
We have selected this as the best ceiling paint you can find because of how good it is all-round. With low VOCs, it is ideal for almost any room in your house from the bedroom to the living room. That is except for your kitchen and bathrooms.
Prestige’s product both paints and primes in one go, saving you time compared to a usual application of paint. This latex ceiling paint can be applied smoothly and easily. The acrylic latex ensures it can also be easily cleaned up with water and soap once the ceiling paint has dried.
Pros:
+ 250-400 square feet per gallon of paint
+ paint and primer
+ mildew/mold resistant
+ lifetime warranty provided the paint is applied properly
+ low VOC
Why We Liked It – This is, without a doubt, one of the best ceiling paint all-rounders out there. However, it should only be used for interior paint in certain rooms, and you should make sure that you read the label before use. Overall, this paint from Prestige is just great, making it an excellent choice of paint for ceilings.
2. Benjamin Moore Waterborne Ceiling Paint
Benjamin Moore is a well-trusted brand, bringing a great finish to the paint. The company markets the ceiling paint as having the “flattest finish offered” by any of their products, due to the clever way it “conceals common surface imperfections.”
As well as this, the Waterborne Ceiling Paint has zero VOC and can be easily applied to the ceiling. You can also get customized paint color, if you don’t plan on painting your ceiling white, although you should note that these are non-returnable.
Pros:
+ 400-450 square feet per gallon of paint
+ one of the best quality finishes you can get
+ customized colors are available
+ zero VOC
Why We Liked It – If you are looking to impress – whether that be to impress others or, quite simply, impress yourself with your own genius – this ceiling paint will do the job. Designed to provide an almost second to none flat finish, you have the best likelihood of being satisfied with how your ceiling looks after using this ceiling paint.
3. Zinsser Ready-Mixed Popcorn Ceiling Patch
This ceiling paint from Zinsser is a patch for popcorn ceilings. Best used as a budget paint option in the case of not wanting to repaint your entire ceiling, you should use it for repairing small surface damages to your ceiling paint, such as scratches or blemishes.
Most popcorn ceiling patch products work with a spray. There are several advantages to doing it in this way. However, it does tend to create a lot of extra work – you will have to protect the surrounding area from the paint, build a tent, and so on.
As well as this, spray-type patch products tend to be quite expensive. This product from Zinsser is less of a ceiling paint and more of a paste, making it easy to apply a couple of layers to your ceiling using a scraper.
Overall, it’s a good budget option, but you should be aware that it can be difficult to get the color to blend exactly. Depending on whether or not all you need is to quickly and cheaply fix something up, this might be the best ceiling paint option for you.
Pros:
+ budget ceiling paints option, cheaper than a spray
+ easy to apply
Why We Liked It – Sometimes, all you need is to cover up a little mark on the ceiling – if that’s all it is, then repainting the whole room might sound a bit ridiculous. While it might take a little work if you want it to be perfect, this product is a good budget ceiling paint option if you’re willing to give it some time. Or if you aren’t too bothered about perfectly matching ceiling paint shades, and just want to get rid of the blemishes.
4. Studio Finishes Molten Metallics
Made from alkyd, this paint from Studio Finishes can be brushed, rolled, or sprayed on to produce a rich color with a beautiful gloss finish, giving it a metallic appearance. You can use this ceiling paint for both interior and exterior surfaces, due to how durable it is. The paint is particularly efficient at inhibiting rust when applied to surfaces outside. You can put this paint also on pretty much anything on which you want to have a metallic finish.
Essentially the only restrictions on the use of this paint are that you should not apply it when the temperatures are below 50 degrees Fahrenheit or to bare galvanized metal or aluminum.
Pros:
+ ~240 square feet per gallon of paint
+ durable, rust-inhibiting finish
+ rich metallic finish
Why We Liked It – We particularly liked the metallic finish of this ceiling paint. Anyone whose ears are pricked up by that kind of color would certainly be interested in looking into this product more closely. This is a great ceiling paint option if you don’t want something neutral, like white.
5. KILZ Interior/Exterior Waterproofing Paint
This waterproofing paint from KILZ is designed to seal surfaces both in the interior and exterior of your house. This is done using nanotechnology, where the paint forms a resistant layer to water, while an alkali-resistant coating ensures that the finish lasts for a long time in good condition. We should also point out that, although this paint creates a waterproof layer, it cannot stop leaks that have already begun. You will need to find other ways to fix that before applying this paint.
Before you use this paint, you should prime all the surfaces. You should then apply at least two coats of paint, and potentially more, using a nap roller, brush or high-pressure airless sprayer. It dries to touch in one hour. Depending on the humidity, you can apply a second coat of paint in as little as four hours.
Pros:
+ 75-125 square feet per gallon of paint
+ leaves a high-quality, waterproof finish
+ can be applied using a roller, brush or airless sprayer
+ a second coat of paint can be applied in only four hours
Why We Liked It – It’s waterproof. It’s probably the best ceiling paint if you live in an area with high humidity or large amounts of rainfall.
6. Montage Signature Interior/Exterior Eco-Friendly Paint
Most paints or ceiling paints aren’t exactly environmentally friendly. This paint from Montage is marketed on how eco-friendly it is. It’s made from raw and post-consumer latex paints and also made entirely in the USA, which helps to boost the local economies.
As well as being environmentally friendly, Montage says that their three different finishes (including semi-gloss, eggshell, and low-sheen) provide excellent coverage for whatever surface you use them on, whether that’s the living room wall or ceiling, while also protecting against mold and mildew.
Pros:
+ applies smoothly to surfaces, leaving an excellent finish
+ 10-year warranty
+ recycled, eco-friendly paint
+ high quality
Why We Liked It – It’s always nice to see someone caring for the environment. While recycled paint isn’t necessarily all it shapes up to be (which will be explored later in the buyer’s guide), something is always better than nothing, and this paint boasts kindness to the environment as well as acting as a high quality paint for ceilings.
7. Homax Roll On Ceiling Texture
If you have a popcorn style ceiling with cracks or slight blemishes in it, then, like the Zinsser product mentioned earlier, you might just want to patch it, rather than repaint your entire ceiling. This roll-on ceiling texture is ready to use and contains materials that replicate the popcorn, power lite, or aggregate style ceiling textures commonly found in many houses.
The ceiling texture paint is great for covering over slight damage, and it dries to a nice finish with a low odor. You can also paint over it. We would recommend that you do this, and paint over the product with a matching ceiling paint color afterward, as it will be difficult to make the texture itself match the color of your ceiling.
Pros:
+ 87.5 square feet per gallon of paint
+ ready-to-use
+ matches the popcorn (or other) texture on your ceiling
+ can be painted over
Why We Liked It – Sometimes, when patching is all you need to do, it’s best to keep it simple. Homax has produced something that’s all about that, making it a great ceiling paint option.
Ceiling Paint Buyer’s Guide
What to Look for When Buying Ceiling Paints
Health and Safety
Some people react badly to the particulates in the ceiling paint or just paint in general. To protect your lungs, you should wear a mask as a bare minimum, and preferably a respirator. Also, wear coveralls to protect your clothes and skin from the ceiling paint, and make sure someone knows where you are in the unlikely situation that you were to fall from a ladder (if you’re using one).
How to Paint your Ceiling
Before starting to paint your ceiling, you need to protect whatever is in the room already. To do this, cover the tops of the walls with plastic. Drape sheets over furniture, and remove any photos or artwork. We recommend using plastic sheets because things like old bedsheets will eventually allow the paint to soak through.
How To Start
Well, first, you must plan your approach. Does your ceiling need one coat of paint or two? Where are you going to start the paint job and finish the paint job? And how will you use that to make sure that all the ceiling paint color is evenly applied?
One Coat
When applying a paint job to your ceiling, just painting one coat can be bad for your neck. You are constantly looking upwards as you paint, and you risk injury to yourself the longer you spend in this position. It is, therefore, best for your neck to just apply one coat. The drawback is that you risk an uneven coat.
If you’re only doing one coat of paint, then you must take your time and make sure that you’ve applied the paint evenly across the ceiling. This is easier said than done, particularly if there is a lot of light in the room. Embarrassing lighter and darker spots might be quite visible to people (called “flashing”). This same problem can happen when doing two coats of paint if one layer doesn’t fully cover the same area as the other. To get over this, use a bright work light to make sure that everything is even, and there are no mismatched ceiling paint color patches.
Before you put everything away and let the paint dry, thoroughly check over the paint color. It’s much easier to fix things sooner rather than later!
Use a roller to apply the ceiling paint. You can use the roller for almost every part of the ceiling. This includes the edges of the room, where the wall meets the ceiling. Use a brush simply to fill in the corners and around ceiling ornaments and lights etc. Never take a loaded paintbrush into a ceiling corner. The excess paint will result in drips, which are very difficult to clean up if you aren’t painting the walls as well as the ceiling.
Two Coats
Repeat step one. Again, take care to make sure that you apply the paint evenly. The paint can or tin will contain the best way to apply the paint and how long to wait between coats on the label instructions. It will also recommend how many coats of ceiling paint to apply.
Once you have your painted ceiling, sit back and let it dry. Hopefully, it’s nice, evenly spread, and a ceiling to be envied the world over. Or maybe it’s just enough to look nice.
What Does “Flashing” Mean?
When painting a ceiling, if you have uneven paint layers on any surface, certain patches may appear to be a different shade than others. In the world of paints and painting, this is referred to as “flashing.” The best way to avoid flashing is to work with a very bright work light so you can easily see the depth and shades of the paint color you are applying to the ceiling.
What Tools to Use for Ceiling Painting?
You could spray the paint, especially if you have multiple rooms and textured ceilings. Spraying is a good way to go as it will put less strain on your body and save an awful lot of time. It’s thought to be ten times faster than using a roller. But to avoid the hassle, if you’re only doing a few rooms, it would probably be simpler to use a roller or a brush.
When using a roller and brush, make sure the roller cover and paintbrush are of good quality. When they are of a lower quality, lint and bristles can come off and end up in the paint, making it feel rough. Cheaper tools are also likely to cost you more in the long run, as you will have to fork out more money all the time to buy newer ones.
As mentioned earlier, it’s best to use a roller to paint the large majority of your ceiling. This saves your body effort, as well as saving you time. Use a high-quality paintbrush to fill in fiddly areas at the corners and around the lights.
When using a roller, dip it into the ceiling paint, so it’s soaked but not dripping. Push it onto the ceiling and roll it, as the name suggests, pushing harder as the paint begins to dry out. This will mean you don’t have to dip the roller back in the paint as often. Make sure it’s smooth, and that’s all there is to it.
The same rules apply when using a brush.
What Makes a Quality Roller?
First of all, you are going to need a good quality roller frame that will last. Of course, if you only plan on painting your ceiling as a one-off job, this isn’t so important. But if you think that you’re going to be doing it again in the future, make a lifelong investment; pick something that won’t break or bend easily.
What Makes a Quality Brush?
A good quality paintbrush will have soft bristles which will last a long time, that can easily hold paint and smoothly apply it. We recommend you talk to members of staff in hardware stores and read customer reviews about all different sorts of paintbrushes to find what’s best for your needs. There are, of course, many different variations available,
What Brand Has the Best Ceiling Paint Reputation?
For interior paints, Benjamin Moore paints are particularly highly recommended. They are seen by many as the best producers because of the amount of research they put into making their paints durable and of high quality.
Do I Have to Use Ceiling Paint Specifically? Can I Use Wall Paint or Others?
Absolutely not, but it’s recommended to use ceiling paint over wall paint. Ceiling paint is different from wall paint because paint for ceilings is designed to provide a flat finish: they are thicker but more difficult to wash. This is because ceiling paint is primarily designed to cover up imperfections on the surface.
Wall paint is designed to be easier to wash because they’re much more likely to get dirty. You can clean walls with just soap and water if you think about it. The best ceiling paint will be long-lasting and leave a nice ceiling paint color finish.
What Does VOC Mean?
You may see that some paints have little or zero VOC. VOCs are greenhouse gases and produce ozone, which can be corrosive to certain materials. The ozone is produced when the VOCs react with oxygen in the presence of sunlight. “VOC” stands for Volatile Organic Compound.
How are Some Paints Recyclable?
Some paints are made from recycled paints, such as one listed in the products above. This involves sorting the paint color, removing the solids, mixing it with new paint, and then adding whatever pigments necessary to get the color wanted.
What Color Should I Paint My Ceiling?
Most people like a white ceiling. A white ceiling looks professional and is easy to work with. You may also find a white ceiling to reflect light the best, making the room seem brighter. So, if you want a brighter room, go for white paint for ceilings.
Conclusion
Painting your ceiling should be enjoyable, and you should step back, knowing that you’ve done the best job you can. We hope this guide has been useful in informing you about your different options when it comes to ceiling paint.
