When it comes to painting your ceiling, there are two main ways to do it – spraying or rolling. Both have their own advantages and disadvantages, so which one is the best for you?
In this blog post, we’ll take a look at both methods and help you decide which one is right for you.
What is the difference between spraying and rolling a ceiling?
In my own experience, the reasons for choosing between the two are time and practicality.
They both give a nice finish, although spraying gives a more smooth finish than a rolled ceiling which leaves more of a stippled finish, so it’s up to you if you prefer one finish over the other.
Advantages of spraying a ceiling
Some advantages of using a paint sprayer to paint your ceiling are:
- Faster – Depending on the equipment and how much prep work you have to do, spraying can be a lot faster than rolling.
- Easier – On your body that is. Rolling several ceilings is heavy. Your neck, shoulders and back take a beating.
- Nice finish – It gives a perfectly smooth and nice finish.
And it’s fun!
Disadvantages of spraying a ceiling
- Masking – If you’re not going to paint the walls they need to be covered, also the whole floor and windows.
- Maintenance – Cleaning the equipment can be sloppy and time-consuming.
- Experience – It takes some practice so you get even coverage and no dripping.
- Equipment – If you don’t already have a paint sprayer, you will have to rent or buy one. Considering that spraying uses more paint than rolling it can get much more expensive.
- You need respiratory protection.
Advantages of rolling a ceiling
- Cheaper – You can buy a paint roller kit for less than 20 bucks and painting your ceiling costs significantly less.
- Easier to repair and touch up. Doing this on a sprayed ceiling can show the areas you messed with.
- The paint gets in all nooks and crannies. If you’re not using enough paint and spray from different angles on ceilings with texture those can be visible.
Disadvantages of rolling a ceiling
- You get a slightly stippled finish.
- Can be strenuous.
- Can be sloppy. Depending on paint, the roller can sprinkle paint all over.
Which method is best for you?
It boils down to personal preference.
I personally prefer rolling a ceiling. And that is, as a professional painter, what I most of the time do. And usually, it only needs one coat.
If it’s a bigger project like a whole house with new drywall I spray with an airless sprayer like this one. But it’s overkill if you’re only painting 1-2 ceilings. If you’re going to paint many ceilings and walls, it would be a good idea to rent one of those.
If you do decide to spray paint then I recommend this spray painter for smaller jobs. I use this kind of paint sprayer on objects like kitchen cabinets, trim, doors and objects that might be hard to paint with a roller and a brush. And if it’s only one or two ceilings it will do fine.
If you’re only painting a room then rolling is the best and easiest way to go.
Do you need to backroll after spraying the ceiling?
If it’s a smooth ceiling I personally don’t do that. Unless it has lots of pores from the mud.
It would be a good idea when it’s a textured ceiling, like a popcorn ceiling or knockdown, so the paint gets in all nooks and crannies. In my opinion, the final result will be better when backrolling right after spraying on these kinds of ceilings.
You could always spray paint the ceiling and see how the result is after it has dried, if you’re not happy with the result just apply another coating and backroll it.
Do you need two coats of paint when spraying?
It depends on the surface. If it’s been painted before and you’re going to paint it in the same color, then one coat is usually enough. The same goes for when rolling.
If it’s new drywall it always needs 2 coats. If you’re painting the ceiling in a light or white color on a dark color then it usually needs 2 coats as well to achieve a complete and even coverage.
How to roll on a ceiling with texture
When you’re rolling a ceiling with a rough texture, like popcorn, knockdown or similar, you should use a roller with a thicker nap.
By using a roller cover with a 1/2 inch (1.3 cm) nap, or more, not only do you get more paint in the roller, but the thick nap also makes it easier for the paint to get into the texture’s deepest parts.
When rolling a ceiling with a rough texture make sure to roll from 2 different directions. Start by the window if there is one in the room. Then work backward towards the dark part of the room.
This way you will see if you miss any parts with the help of light coming from the window. If you don’t have a window in the room or if you’re painting when it’s dark outside, then place a light source so you will properly see where the paint goes.
Conclusion
How to choose between rolling or spraying a ceiling depends on the project, finance and personal preference.
In most cases, rolling is cheaper and easier, but sometimes there is a need for spraying ceilings.
If there are many ceilings to be painted that need more than one coat, then rent or buy an airless paint sprayer. It will save you time and your body.
If you’re just painting 1-2 ceilings with a rough texture, just roll them but make sure you use a roller cover with a thick nap and also use an extension pole.