How to Repair and Repaint a Popcorn Ceiling

Remove all furniture and items from the room below the ceiling. This will protect you from leaking paint and texture onto sensitive objects. Remove all light fixtures and ceiling fans if possible as well.

Spread protective plastic sheeting across the floor of the room, as well as any fixtures you could not remove. If necessary, hold the sheeting in place with masking tape.

Clean the ceiling with the soft brush attachment of a vacuum cleaner or a rag dampened in warm water to remove dust, dirt and cobwebs. Clean carefully to avoid further damage to the ceiling. If you find any loose, cracked or peeling paint, remove this as well.

Tape plastic sheeting around the areas where the ceiling meets the wall to prevent paint transfer. With the area so prepared, open windows and doors or run exhaust fans to ventilate your work space. Repair work and paint will produce strong fumes.

Spray over the damaged areas with a textured spray paint, available from painting supply stores. Choose a light color, since you will be painting over it. Spray the new texture into place to bring the damaged areas flush with the rest of the ceiling. If necessary, smooth out the texture paint and feather it into the surrounding areas with a putty knife or damp sponge. Follow specific product instructions regarding drying time and allow the texture to dry fully before continuing.

Pour your paint of choice into a paint roller tray. Dip the bristles of a 2 ½ inch paintbrush into the tray and brush off the edges lightly to ensure that it will not drip while you work.

Paint around the edges of the ceiling with your paintbrush. Coat the 2 to 3 inches of ceiling around the perimeters near the walls so that you have a guideline for your roller. This will help to cut down on paint transfer.

Roll a large nap roller, ¾-inch nap to 1 ¼-inch nap, into the paint and then roll it onto the dry tray area to remove excess paint, preventing drips. Work the roller over the ceiling in small sections, rewetting with paint as necessary. The large nap of the roller will conform around the texture, eliminating gaps and blank areas.

Coat the entire ceiling in paint. After the first coat dries, apply a second if so instructed by your paint product or if you desire a darker color. Allow all paint to dry overnight before removing tape and plastic sheeting.