Get matched with top interior painters in Pilot Knob, MO

If your popcorn ceiling is asbestos-free and you are ready for a new look, painting is an option. As long as there is no flaking or other wear, a new coat of paint might be just the thing to refresh the old ceiling. The best way to paint a popcorn ceiling is to use either a paint sprayer or a thick roller to cover the popcorn texture fully. (Do not forget to dust it off beforehand!)

“Note that if you eventually want to remove the popcorn ceiling, a painted ceiling is a labor-intensive job to remove and will cost more,” says Bob Tschudi. “Once painted, the process of removing the popcorn ceiling requires physical scraping as opposed to a spray-and-scrape approach. It’s very labor-intensive, and thus more costly.”

Once you prep a house for exterior painting, painting with a sprayer can go quickly. Spray painting results in a thin layer of paint, likely taking multiple layers to get full coverage. You can expect the spray paint job to take at least one day, including dry time, but it can take longer depending on how large of a home it is and the weather conditions.

Flat paint has a much shorter life span than other finishes due to the lack of protective gloss. How long flat paint lasts on walls will depend on sun exposure, moisture, temperature variations, how often it is cleaned, and more. While it’s impossible to give an exact number, don’t be surprised if you need to repaint walls with flat paint every few years.

You’ll often have picture-perfect results by painting over the old color. However, if you’re transitioning from a dark wall color to a light one, you’ll want to use a primer first to save yourself from applying multiple coats for coverage. Also, if you’re moving from an oil-based paint to a water-based one and vice versa, you’ll want to use a primer. Don’t forget to spackle over any holes or dents before adding your new paint color.