How to Spray Ceilings

Spray ceilings -- also called popcorn ceilings, textured ceilings or orange-peel ceilings -- provide more than just a textured look. This type of ceiling provides acoustical benefits, as it insulates noise from upper levels. You will need specialized equipment to apply texture finish to a ceiling. Since the equipment you need to texturize a ceiling is expensive, you might determine it's more cost-effective for you to rent it from a local hardware store rather than purchase it, particularly if you will be spraying only one or two ceilings in your home.

Drop cloths
Light plastic sheathing
Hopper and sprayer with spray bits suitable for textured finishes
Texture Mix

Instructions

- 1
  Protect your flooring with drop cloths. Remove all of the furniture in the room. Place drop cloths over the flooring and tape them into place along the baseboards.
- 2
  Tape drop cloths or light plastic sheathing over the walls. Spraying on a textured ceiling produces a lot of splattering. Tape the drop cloths up to the seam of the ceiling and secure the edges and bottoms with more tape.
- 3
  Fill the sprayer's hopper bin with texture mix. The hopper is typically located on the back of the sprayer. If you cannot find it, refer to the manufacturer directions.
- 4
  Begin spraying in the middle of the ceiling, using only a spray tip that's suited for use in texture finish applications. A regular paint sprayer tip is unsuitable. Turn on the sprayer and aim at the ceiling. Position the hopper between 6 and 10 feet away from the ceiling. Apply a very light coat of texture and gradually move to the other side of the room. Do not over-apply the texture.
- 5
  Spray on another two to three coats of texturing. Build up the texture until it has reached the level you desire.

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