How to Repair Water Stains on Textured Ceilings

Water stains on a ceiling are a problem that most homeowners encounter at some point in their lives. Once you repair the roof or plumbing leak that caused the damage, you may be left with an unsightly ceiling. A textured ceiling compounds the problem. The key to repairing the water stain is to cover the surface with the proper paint to hide the discoloration. Then apply fresh ceiling texture to disguise the repair.

Plastic tarps
Ladder
Putty knife
Stain-sealing primer
Paint stirrer
Paint tray
Paint roller
Safety glasses
Dust mask
Can of ceiling texture

Instructions

- 1
  Lay plastic tarps over the floor and all objects in the room to protect them from paint splatters. Place a ladder under the damaged ceiling area and climb up onto it with a putty knife.
- 2
  Scrape away any loose areas of the ceiling texture with the putty knife. It is not necessary to remove any texture that is still structurally sound.
- 3
  Climb back down from the ladder and open a can of stain-covering primer. Stir it up well with a paint stirrer then pour it into a paint tray.
- 4
  Dip a paint roller into the primer until it is saturated then climb back up the ladder and paint all portions of the ceiling that have water stains. If the stain is large, hang a support shelf on the ladder and place the paint tray on it so you don't have to climb up and down. Allow the primer to dry completely.
- 5
  Put on safety glasses and a dust mask and shake up a can of ceiling texture paint thoroughly for 30 seconds.
- 6
  Hold the can upright 12 inches away from the ceiling. Press the nozzle to spray the texture over all areas that you previously primed. Extend the spray out 1 inch over the surrounding texture to blend it in well.

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