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The most common way to decorate a ceiling is to whitewash or paint it. And the most used paint for this is water-based. Painting the ceiling with water-based paint at first glance seems to be a simple matter, but there are many subtleties, ignorance of which leads to the appearance of spots or stripes. How to avoid the appearance of such a nuisance, we will tell further.
Preparation for painting
In order for the independent painting of the ceiling with water-based paint to be of high quality and uniform, preliminary preparation of the ceiling is necessary. It is possible to achieve uniform coloring only on a flat, puttied surface. Therefore, before starting work, it is necessary to clean the ceiling from any previous coating (with the exception of a water-based emulsion, which holds very well).
How to remove whitewash
If you have whitewash on the ceiling – chalk or lime – you need to moisten the ceiling with water, and remove the coating with a spatula. Clean everything down to concrete. Even the smallest fragments must be removed. Sometimes it is very inconvenient to scrape small areas with a spatula, it is easier to do it with a wet rag.
In any case, after removing the whitewash, the ceiling should be washed with water and detergent. After complete drying, prime and putty with gypsum or cement (preferably white) putty to an even state, which is also called “under the egg”.
How to remove old water emulsion
If the ceiling has already been painted with a water-based emulsion, simply removing it will not work. The procedure depends on how the paint holds on the ceiling. If it just changed color and you need to update the ceiling, there are no swellings, cracks and other similar problems, you can get by with a little bloodshed. First – remove dust (with a cloth with water), dry, then primed. After the primer dries, you can paint. But once again we pay attention – this procedure is used only if the water emulsion is holding well and there are no defects.
If there are cracks, swellings on the surface of the water-based emulsion, it must be cleaned off. There are two ways – dry and wet. Dry is to clean with sandpaper (manually or using an angle grinder), wet is to wash off. This method has to be used for paint that is not afraid of water. But it is very difficult to clean off such paint. If the water-based paint holds well, no tricks help, but there are surface defects and putty is necessary, take coarse-grained sandpaper and make the surface rough. After that, you can putty. Further – according to technology: primer and then paint.
The ceiling painted with a water-based emulsion is washed off twice abundantly wetting with hot water. The water should be almost boiling water – about 70°C. After wetting part of the ceiling, wait 10 minutes, then again moisten the same area with hot water. After about five minutes, you can remove the paint with a spatula.
You can repeat this procedure several times, gradually removing lagging paint from the ceiling. Small residues can be cleaned with sandpaper, and then rinsed the ceiling, dried and primed. On the primer, it is already possible to putty, sand, leveling the imperfections.
Types of water-based paint
Water-based paint is a water-based emulsion that contains polymer particles undissolved in water. The composition also includes pigments and various additives that change the characteristics of the final product. After applying the paint, active evaporation of water occurs and a thin polymer film remains on the surface.
Painting the ceiling with water-based paint begins with the choice of composition. They use four types of polymers:
- Acrylic. Aqueous emulsion based on acrylic resins allows you to get a smooth surface, has good hiding power, hides small surface defects, up to cracks up to 1 mm wide. Its disadvantage is the high price, but it is easier to work with it. In its pure form, acrylic compounds are hygroscopic and can only be used for dry rooms, but they do not interfere with the passage of steam. To create a waterproof film, latex is added to the acrylic emulsion. The same additive increases the elasticity of the dried film. Such compositions can be used in wet rooms.
Acrylic-based water emulsion – a smart choice - silicates. This type of water-based paint is based on liquid glass. The coating is resistant to atmospheric precipitation and at the same time does not prevent the removal of vapors, has a long service life (10 years or more), and can be used for outdoor work.
Silicate paints are vapor-tight - Minerals – lime or cement. Mineral water-based emulsions have good adhesion to any surface, but are quickly washed off. As a result, they are gradually losing popularity.
Water-based paints based on minerals (lime) are the cheapest - Silicone. Silicone-based aqueous emulsions are the latest in industry. These compositions are good because they “tighten” cracks up to 2 mm thick. As a result, the surface painted by them, even without excellent preparation, is even and smooth. The film is dense, but vapor-permeable. Silicone water emulsion can be used to paint the ceiling in bathrooms and other wet areas. The disadvantage of this type of paint is the high price.
Silicone water-based paints can even paint over cracks
Latex may be added to any of the formulations. Latex water-based paint is water-repellent. It is not afraid of moisture, can be used in wet areas.
Based on the main characteristics of these compositions, you can choose the best type of water-based paint for yourself. Each case requires its own properties and the “best water emulsion” is different each time.
What primer to use
The primer is necessary for better adhesion (adhesion) of the paint to the surface to be painted. It allows you to avoid the appearance of cracks and swelling after the paint dries. If there is no primer, this can happen. Everything will have to be cleaned and re-puttyed. Because in order for the painting of the ceiling with water-based paint to be of high quality, it is necessary to prime the surface well.
The base of the primer must match the base paint. Under acrylic paint, a water-based emulsion requires the same primer, under silicone – based on silicones, etc. Moreover, it is advisable not to save: the quality of this composition depends on how smoothly the water emulsion will lie on the ceiling.
There is an economical way of priming: the main paint is diluted with water (1 to 2) and the surface is painted over with this composition a couple of times. It’s certainly better than nothing, but the primer gives a more secure grip.
How to paint the ceiling with a water-based emulsion with your own hands
Each of the water-based paints on the bank has instructions for use. It describes how it works. Some formulations just need to be stirred well before work: undissolved polymers can settle at the bottom of the jar. Some formulations require dilution. The amount of water added is also prescribed in the instructions and depends on the method of application. Under spray guns, they are bred more strongly; when using a roller, thicker compositions are required.
When diluting the water emulsion with water, it must be added in small portions. After mixing thoroughly, test on a surface area. If the paint lays down evenly, almost completely paints over the base, you can paint.
It is more convenient to pour the paint into a special container with a tray and a ribbed platform. You can use an ordinary bowl and a clean piece of oilcloth spread nearby. It’s not as convenient, but it’s less expensive.
Which roller to choose
A roller for painting the ceiling with a water-based emulsion is needed with a dense short pile. You need to examine it carefully. The pile should “sit” firmly and in no case should it “climb out”, even if you pull on it. Then look at how the seam is made. In no case should it stand out. It must be hard to find. It is best if it is made obliquely.
Devote maximum attention to choosing a roller: the quality of painting – the absence of stripes on the ceiling – largely depends on how good you have chosen the tool. It is more convenient to whitewash the ceiling with a water-based emulsion not from a ladder, but from the floor. To do this, the roller is planted on a long handle and well fixed.
How to paint without streaks
To avoid streaks on the ceiling, painting the ceiling with water-based paint should be completed no later than 20 minutes. Immediately after application, water begins to actively absorb / evaporate, and stripes appear at the junction of the dried and “fresh” color. Therefore, it is desirable to prepare the room. It is necessary to turn off (wrap) the radiators, to prevent the appearance of a draft. It is also advisable to wash the floor immediately before whitewashing, even if you work during the day, turn on the lights, this will allow you to better control the quality of the painting. After that, you can get to work.
Ready-to-use water-based paint is poured into a container, a roller is dipped into it, then it is well rolled over the site, achieving uniform distribution over the entire surface. When the roller has a solid color, they begin to paint.
The corners are painted over with the first brush. After applying a little paint, take a small roller and roll it well. Then they begin to paint the main surface. The first layer is applied parallel to the window, the second – perpendicularly.
It is necessary to stand so as to look at the painted place at an angle. This will give you a good view of how evenly the paint has spread, as well as where you have already painted and where you haven’t. Move systematically, without jumping from one piece to another.
The width of the strip to be painted at a time is slightly larger than the width of the roller. After wetting the roller, place it approximately in the middle of the strip. Roll the paint quickly in both directions from one wall to the other. Don’t waste too much time, you don’t have much. On average, the water emulsion dries up in 10-20 seconds. We didn’t have time to put a strip next to it before – the border will be clearly visible, from which you will not get rid of. Having distributed the paint more or less evenly over the strip, dip the roller into the paint, and again roll it from the middle of the ceiling. At the same time, go into the already painted strip by about 10 cm. All this at a good pace without stops and smoke breaks. The edges of the dyed strip should not dry out. In general, these are all the rules.
After applying the first coat of paint, some places may be less well painted over. It is necessary to wait for complete drying, and paint a second time. This should already be enough to get a flat surface. If even after the third layer of water-based paint you have stripes and stains on the ceiling, you will have to redo it again. It is necessary to level the surface with sandpaper, prime again and paint again.
Which color
The easiest way to achieve perfect evenness of color is when using “snow white” paint. All pigments clearly highlight even small irregularities, therefore, the process of puttying the ceiling should be given maximum attention or use an acrylic or silicone-based water-based emulsion.