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‘FIFTH WALL’ PAINT MANUFACTURERS OFFER TIPS FOR PAINTING CEILINGS BY DEBRA GELBART You may never paint anything as grand as the Sistine Chapel, but that doesn’t mean ceilings aren’t an important part of your business. In fact, said Tim O’Reilly of Behr Process Corporation, it’s probably a good idea to convince homeowner customers to repaint their ceilings at the same time they’re repainting walls.
“When you don’t repaint ceilings, they can look dingy, no matter what light color the customer chooses for walls,” said Tim O’Reilly, director of pro services for the Home Depot Channel of Behr. “It’s simply common sense to repaint ceilings, too.” Most, if not all, ceilings can be painted, said Sam Carrillo, a product manager with Dunn-Edwards Paints. There aren’t many situations when a ceiling shouldn’t be painted, said Kevin Lemire a brand manager with Benjamin Moore, but if the ceiling is damaged and shows signs of mold or mildew, it should be replaced or repaired before painting. Best coatings for ceilings Painting a ceiling is more challenging, of course, than painting walls, and paint manufacturers offer specially formulated products that address those challenges. PPG Paints, for example, offers an acrylic latex ceiling paint ideal for ceilings because of formulations that reduce splatter and provide the least amount of sheen, said Brian Osterried, product manager of interior coatings for PPG Paints. “These characteristics are valuable for ceiling application, because reduced splatter allows for less mess and flat sheens minimize surface imperfections.” Patch any holes or cracks before painting and sand it smooth, Osterried advised. If there are stains, an appropriate stain-blocking primer should be used.