How to Paint a Ceiling Without It Dripping on the Floor

Preparation

• 1

  Use a drop cloth to cover large pieces of furniture to protect them from paint spatters. If possible, move items out of the room; this will free up room to maneuver while painting.

• 2

  Cover as much of the floor as possible with a drop cloth. Secure the drop cloth to the baseboards with painters’ tape to keep it from shifting as you work.

• 3

  Tape the tops of the walls where they meet the ceiling. This helps prevent ceiling paint from getting on the walls and maintains a clean line at the transition between wall and ceiling.

• 4

  Clean out any accumulated cobwebs and dust from corners, which can cause paint to clump up.

Cutting In

• 5

  Pour paint into a roller pan or dip the angled trim brush into the paint bucket.

• 6

  Scrape any excess paint from the brush with the edge of the pan or bucket to help avoid drips.

• 7

  Stand on a stepladder and carefully paint along the edges of the ceiling around the perimeter of the room, reloading the paint brush as the paint begins to thin out. Try to maintain an even texture as you work.

• 8

  Rotate the brush periodically if you see drips starting to form.

Painting

• 9

  Screw a paint roller onto the top of a roller extension pole.

• 10

  Dip the roller and roller cover into the bucket or pan of paint, using the screen to remove any excess paint. If using a roller pan, roll the cover back and forth several times to remove any excess paint.

• 11

  Push the paint roller along the ceiling in a straight line from one side of the room to the other, avoiding excess pressure and reloading the roller whenever the paint begins to thin out. Pressing too hard on the roller, as you work, will create lines on the ceiling and also cause the paint to spatter and drip.

• 12

  Avoid paint lines by making sure to feather the edges as you work or blurring out the hard line of the area you just painted.