painting ceiling looks rough

bryanp

I have been trying to re-surface my ceiling. I have plastered it, and primed it. Upon painting the ceiling paint, I get highly inconsistent texture across it. I believe its from the roller I am using "3/8" nap length.

Upon watching several youtube videos I see "1/2" is the better solution. What can I do to get the ceiling looking cohesive again? Re-plaster it all/prime/sand/paint? Sand the paint? Karate chop?

Looking from the doorway, you can see places where the texture isnt cohesive across the ceiling.

bryanp

I came across this suggetion: Ceiling paint
Which reads: Is that a good suggestion?

Brushjockey

That was for heavy roller edges.
You will have to explain a bit better what you mean by Texture.
A 3/8 will be hard to get even coverage because it carries so little paint, but shouldn't leave much texture ( unless you do mean heavy roller edges).
A good quality 1/2 will serve you better.
What paint/ sheen are you using? A good quality ceiling paint is a very flat paint.
If you are using a thick paint with sheen, you are setting yourself up for problems.

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bryanp

I am using Behr Premium Plus, Ceiling Paint. Interior flat.

I know part of the problem comes inconsistent pressure as I paint. It creates a texture from the roller nap. Am I not loading enough paint into the roller? How can I tell if my roller is quality?


It looks something like this. (This is not an actual picture.)

chrisn

My suggeastion
Get a quality 1/2 inch cover from a real paint store.

Get QUALITY paint from the same store.

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oh'mike

Try a better paint--that brand never looks good for me---

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jsheridan

Behr Ceiling (heavy bodied?, like other Behr paints) + 3/8 nap + inexperience = ceiling never stood a chance. Bryan, it's hard to determine why you're where you're at exactly. The most likely culprit, imo, is that you're overrolling it and picking up setting paint or activated primer with some patching thrown in, or both. We really don't need to know why, only how to fix it and proceed to do it properly which, by the way, I don't remember seeing you ask before you started. If it's from what I suspect, it will sand out fairly easily. Take a piece of 100 or 80 grit paper and sand it out. Don't apply elbow grease, just apply the paper to the surface and let the paper do the work. You may have to spot patch some areas, then reprime. As to paint and applicator, go to SW or BM, buy a gallon of contractor grade flat wall paint, or splurge and buy a ceiling paint, and a quality 1/2 inch roller cover. A good cover should cost about 5-7 bucks retail (USD), but it's actually a better investment than the paint. You can't roll even the best/most expensive paint with a cheap roller. You also need to work on your technique. You can find videos online on how to roll ceilings and I have some articles you can read on choosing rolling covers and painting ceilings at And, more DIY Painting Articles in my signature line below. Others have found them helpful. Good luck.
Joe

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bryanp

Is Sherwin Williams the only quality place to go?

jsheridan - I never realized all the steps to prepare a brush. Ive always done the method I see "on tv". Get the brush, add paint and put on wall.

The primer has always gone on and looked really nice. And its the finishing paint that ruins it all.

Gymschu

As I always say in cases like this: LOAD THAT ROLLER UP WITH PAINT........the paint should almost be dripping off the roller after dipping it in the paint tray or bucket. Gentle pressure, don't push so hard. Let the roller do the work.

bryanp

That, I think is my biggest issue. I try not to waste paint, so I dont load it up that much.

jsheridan

I agree, but with the following caveat. Rollers can't swim, so never put your roller into the deep end of the pool. Treat it like you would when testing the water at the beach. Just put it's toe in. In literal terms, you never want the roller to go in deeper than the thickness of the cover, which would mean you get paint on the white plastic end of the roller handle/cage. In a pan, roll it up to the edge of the paint, pull back and go back and forth against the grid going up to the edge of the paint each time. Do this a couple of times. What your doing is picking up paint at the edge and the back and forth is uniformly distributing the pick up over the cover. So Gymshcu, I agree with your advice, I just think it imparts the idea of sinking the roller into the paint and drowning it.
Joe

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Ironlight

Try not to waste paint? You mean so you can save it in the can on the shelf in your basement? You bought it to put it on the ceiling. Put it on the ceiling, lol.

But seriously, if you "dry roll" your ceiling it's going to look like crap even if you use the best paint in the world, no matter how many times you "dry roll" over it again. In fact the more you dry roll it, the more texture you'll get without really getting any better coverage.

Gymschu

Good points, Joe! I guess I should pre-empt my "load your roller" speech with a disclaimer......no, don't just blindly roll it into the tray and get paint all over the ends and the frame......that creates its' own kind of painting nightmare. But, seriously, make the fuzzy part soaking wet with paint so you can really roll on a good 2 x 2 or 3 x 3 area......

chrisn

Ain't that what I said?

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