Interior Painting in Warsaw, Indiana: How to Paint Walls Near a Ceiling

The space where your wall meets your ceiling is rather tight.

If you do not take the proper precautions, you can easily get smudges and specks of paint on your ceiling when you attempt to paint along the top perimeter of your room.

Before you paint your walls near the ceiling make sure the room is prepped for painting.

Use painter’s tape to keep paint off undesired areas and apply paint to the top two inches (five centimeters) of your wall using a painter’s brush.

Here are some tips and guidelines on how to paint walls near a ceiling without smudging your ceiling:

Empty The Room

Start by removing all the items hanging on the walls. 

Also, remove any objects that can be moved, for example, decorations, furniture, or switch covers, and wall outlets. 

Paint could drip on these things when painting high surfaces.

Paint the Ceiling First

If you are painting your ceiling as well as your walls, you should paint the ceiling first. 

Painting the ceiling is more complicated, and you are more likely to make errors than you are while painting the walls.

Additionally, paint from the ceiling may drip down onto the walls. If you painted the walls first, the area nearest the ceiling would likely need to be redone after you applied ceiling paint.

Let the Paint Dry

After painting the ceiling, wait for it to dry completely. 

You will stick masking tape on the ceiling, and if the paint has not finished drying, it will be more likely to come off than if it is completely dry.

Depending on the brand and type, it may need to be allowed to dry for a few hours and a whole night before the walls can be painted.

Cover The Ceiling Near The Wall With Painter’s Tape

Apply the tape in 2- to 3-foot (2/3- to 1-meter) strips. 

Strips longer than this may be challenging to work with.

Lay one end of one of the strips of masking tape at the corner of the ceiling where it meets the wall. 

Press firmly to stick it flat against the ceiling.

Slowly slide your hand over it, positioning it in a straight line along the edge of the ceiling and pressing firmly to stick it flat. 

There must be no air bubbles. 

If there is any, paint could seep under the masking tape and stain the wall.

Repeat the taping process with as many strips of tape as you need. 

By the end, your entire ceiling should have a ring of tape around it, directly where the ceiling and wall meet.

Prepare the Paint

Using a standard painter’s tray will only make the task more difficult since these trays tend to be bulky and may be difficult to maneuver while standing on a ladder. 

A small bowl, in contrast, can easily be held in one hand, and a few cups of paint are all you will need to start with.

Start Painting 

Dip a small beveled brush into the paint covering only a strip of about 1 or 2 cm down the bristles.

If the brush is too thick, the paint on its top edge may get to the ceiling when you paint the top corner of the walls.

A flat bevel brush makes it possible to paint the surface of the walls without accidentally smudging your ceiling.

Lay your paintbrush flat against the wall, starting at a corner of the room.

The bottom edge of the brush should just barely touch the painter’s tape to ensure that the paint extends up to the highest point of the wall.

The Bottom Line

As with any skill, the more you do it, the better you’ll get! 

This is very true when it comes to painting a perfect line where the wall and ceiling meet.

However, if you need professional assistance repainting the interior of your home, our team here at Matthews’ Painting would love to help.

We have over 20 years of experience in residential painting, serving the areas of Warsaw, Syracuse, Leesburg, Lake Tippecanoe area, Goshen, Winona Lake area, Columbia City, Indiana, and surrounding Indiana cities.

To get started, call us today on (574) 834-3575 to book our services or ask any question.