How to Paint an 18-Foot Ceiling

Prep the room by removing any furniture you can take out and placing drop cloths over the floor and any pieces of furniture you cannot move.

Turn off the power to any electrical circuits in the ceiling, such as light fixtures, at your home's main electrical box.

Remove any vent covers or plate covers for light fixtures from the ceiling.

Place painter's tape along the top of the wall along the ceiling if you're painting the ceiling a different color from the wall. Use an extension ladder to reach the ceiling.

Apply primer to the edges of the ceiling with a paintbrush, a process called "cutting in." Use the extension ladder to reach the edges of the ceiling, moving it along the wall as needed. Apply the primer with smooth, even strokes, moving in between 4 and 6 inches toward the center of the ceiling. If you're painting the ceiling the same color or a darker color than it currently is, you can skip the primer.

Apply primer to the rest of the ceiling, using a paint roller on an extension pole. To do the main part of the room, you'll need a scaffolding system. You can rent scaffolding, or you can use two multiposition or A-frame ladders and lay an extension plank between them. You can rent or buy the multiposition or A-frame ladders and extension plank. Move the scaffolding around the room as needed. If you're painting the ceiling the same color or a darker color than it currently is, you can skip the primer. Allow the primer to dry.

Paint the ceiling in the color of your choice, first by cutting in, then by applying the paint with the roller and extension handle. Allow the paint to dry, and touch it up or add a second coat if needed.