How to paint your ceilings

All good projects begin with good preparation. So clear your area, lay down a drop sheet, then grab yourself a ladder, brush, tape, roller and extension pole and tray.​ ​ Begin by cleaning your ceiling. Remove cobwebs with a clean broom and wash the area with Selleys Original Sugar Soap. It’s true, no one enjoys cleaning but missing this step could lead to trouble later on.​ ​ Tape around cornices, edges and any down lights.​

Cut in around the wall edges with a brush - these are the areas a roller cannot easily reach. Maintain a wet-edge by cutting in larger areas in sections as you go. This will help to avoid ‘picture framing’ where unblended cut in areas remain obvious after rolling.

Once you’ve loaded your roller evenly, begin in one corner and move fluidly in a parallel motion. For best results, work in 1 metre sections painting across and then down. Roll as far into the previously brushed sections as possible.​

Now that you’ve finished a large section of your ceiling, and while it’s still damp, you can begin laying off the paint. This is a crucial step in achieving a smooth and consistent finish. Using an unloaded roller begin in the top left corner of your ceiling and gently pull towards you in a straight line with no pressure. A lightness of touch will prevent new brush strokes from forming. Repeat this action, only this time, slightly overlap your last movement so your roller rubs away the line created by the previous stroke.