DIY Painting Ceilings With a Roller

• Rolling Paint on Walls
• Choosing a Paint Roller
• Paint Rolling Preparation
• Paint White Ceiling

Brush paint around the perimeter of the ceiling before beginning the roller work and check this link for help with preparing the paint roller and tray and filling the roller.

Roll the First Section

Begin rolling the ceiling a few inches away from the wall. Roll the paint about 5 feet along the wall and then work out toward the center of the ceiling.

Roll Repeatedly to Smooth the Coat

Roll out a few feet and then roll back toward the wall. Go slowly near the wall to avoid bumping it with the roller. Roll back and forth lightly over the same paint several times to even out the coat and remove any roller marks.

Roll a Second Section

Refill the roller and start the next swath of paint a few inches from the last. Roll a few feet out toward the center of the ceiling.

Smooth the Paint

Roll back over the paint again and into the first section. Roll back and forth lightly until the paint coat is smooth with no roller marks.

Roll the Remaining Ceiling

Continue in this way until the ceiling is finished. Blend the roller work into the brush work around light fixtures and at walls using a lightly filled roller. Roll repeatedly until the two areas are blended into a smooth paint coat.

Let latex flat wall paint dry for an hour or more and apply a second if necessary. Let eggshell, semi and high–gloss latex paint dry three or four hours and let alkyd paint dry 12 to 24 hours between coats.