Learn how to paint perfect ceilings

When painting a whole room from scratch, we recommend starting with the ceiling and working your way down. To get started, protect floors with canvas or plastic-backed dust sheets and, if possible, remove all furniture from the room. If this isn’t possible, move any large items of furniture into the middle of the room and cover it with sheeting (so you and others can see what’s there).

As ever, good preparation is key to ensuring a perfect finish. Wipe the ceiling with a damp cloth to remove dust and be on the lookout for any troublesome cobwebs and dust.

If your ceiling shows any signs of discolouring or water staining (from a previous upstairs leak, for example), we recommend applying a primer such as Dulux Trade Stain Block Plus to the affected areas. [local market guidance: please insert the correct priming product here]

It’s best to work away from any light source, so start near the largest window, this will make sure you can see where you’ve painted and don’t get any “misses”.

“Cut in” around the edges of your ceiling with a medium sized brush (a 2-inch synthetic bristle brush is ideal). You may want to use masking tape where your walls meet the ceiling so you get the neatest result possible.

Once you’ve cut in, you can start applying paint to the ceiling using a roller. If your ceiling is particularly high, you may need to use an extension pole to save climbing up and down a ladder. If you have a textured ceiling, we recommend that you use a deeper pile roller.

You’re almost there! Apply a second coat once the first has completely dried and use a small roller (rather than a brush) to touch up any uneven areas. Now sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labour.