what paint to use to touch up ceilings

Tin I touch on up a ceiling with white paint or will I need to paint the entire ceiling?

Forgive my ignorance, first fourth dimension homeowner hither.

Whoever painted the walls in the firm I only bought did not use tape in the creases between the wall and ceiling so it's a disaster. Can I touch upwardly the ceiling in the creases with white paint or will it clash and I have to paint the entire ceiling? I was looking at paint swatches today and there's a meg shades of white. WHY IS THERE So MANY SHADES OF WHITE?

Thank you.

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level one

The real answer is "it depends", only probably not.

The ii problems in touching up pigment are both getting a friction match to the original paint, and the fact that fifty-fifty if you accept exactly the same pigment if the paint on the ceiling has sat for a while information technology may be slightly miscolored compared to what is in the can.

I'm assuming you don't have any of the original paint, even an empty can?

level two

Even context clues, similar if you have paint for the walls somewhere and it's Sherwin Williams, peradventure they used sw ceiling paint, etc. Something to narrow it downwardly might be useful

level two

Ahh I wish! Good suggestion though, thank you. :)

level 1

Had this same problem. I got a tin of obviously ol' ceiling pigment and did the touch on ups. Was it a perfect match? No. Who can tell? No 1. Not a single guest (and probably non your significant other) will be staring at your ceilings. Like most imperfect domicile repairs, they will only be noticed by yous.

One mean solar day if y'all decide to pigment the entire house, take care of it then. Until that time, save yourself a buck.

Good luck!

level 2

Agreed. Buy a can of ceilng paint. Information technology'due south a flat finish so information technology hides well and nobody stares at the ceiling. Bear upon information technology up as best every bit you tin and if it works, great. If yous detest it, practise the rest.

level 2

Thank you then much! Is plain ol' ceiling paint a shade of white? Like a generic shade they make purposefully for ceilings? Just wondering.

level i

I've seen a greyness haired pro pigment a patch in my ceiling past mixing paints and advisedly blending around the patch and the results were perfect. But I'm sure that takes a lot of practice. If a wonky line where the pigment and ceiling meet really bothers you lot, I think the quickest route to being happy with it is repainting the whole ceiling.

Special gadgets for painting a direct edge e'er disappointed me. I have settled on using a decent quality castor and having a wet rag set up to wipe away any smudges every bit I brand them.

level two

As someone who touches upwards a lot of pigment, I really, really wish I had that skill. I've seen it done when the guy who painted our cabinets damages our ceiling, but I volition never have the touch to feather it in like that

level 2

I wish I had that skill too! Would love to merely hire a pro only I'm cringing at the price! Lol.

level 1

I am currently repainting ceilings in a few rooms. I've done this to a few houses now (we get older houses) it is kinda horrid at how xanthous they get fifty-fifty when they seem white. As for ceilings I just get ceiling paint.

level 2

Ahh yes, ours is very quondam. The business firm itself is 100 years old, and while I know the ceilings have been painted since then, they are probably withal very erstwhile. It's probably best to requite information technology a fresh glaze. Thanks! Good luck with your painting projects. :)

level 1

Even if yous had paint left over from the previous homeowner and you were 100% sure it was what they used on the ceiling, it would nonetheless look slightly off from general age and UV exposure on the existing pigment.

Best to repaint the whole ceiling.

level 2

A rule from office facilities guys is to paint a whole surface. I wall tin be a tiny bit dissimilar from the other wall on a corner, but lighting hides and disguises the difference.

level 1

Ceiling paint is frequently flat white in my experience

level 2

This is skilful to know, give thanks you!!

level 1

We are at domicile too long at the moment spotting all the errors and bad workmanship! (Workwomanship?) We all need to get out more!

I don't understand this taping business - it takes a long fourth dimension to record up and is sometimes not constructive when the pigment creeps underneath. Also you have to be sure the tape does non peel off the paint underneath when removing it. Professional person painters acquire the art of "cutting-in". Load sufficient just not too much paint onto a minor castor, SPREAD brush by applying gentle pressure level confronting the surface to exist painted and and then move the brush to the border or the corner. You lot can practice this by drawing a feint line on the surface and then spreading the brush nigh to that line.

1. Not many visitors look upwardly at ceilings in your home and criticise the paintwork. Get new friends if they do! Therefore odd differences in white will non affair and volition somewhen fade into 1 another.

2. Watered down (probably 1:1 but depend on the paint) textured paint makes a adept ceiling paint because it will readily adhere to the ceiling and it fills cracks.

3. Wait until the walls need painting and so do the ceiling start but over-pigment the ceiling a fraction. And so paint over the white with your wall paint. Overpainting ensures cracks will be filled and covering the overpainting with the wall paint is easier than the over way effectually because yous will be "cut-in" to a vertical surface instead of a horizontal surface above your head.

level 2

My friend is a professional painter and he helped us paint our entire interior upon move in and nosotros didn't use tape a single time. He was 10x faster than us of course, but we did a great job after watching him. Learning to cutting in correctly is mode more efficient imo.

I am an art painter and so I'one thousand certain that helped, just I will probably never muck around with tape again!

level 2

Haha you are correct! I tend to be a piffling on the obsessive spectrum so although no one else will care near this, it will drive me basics!

Thanks for all this solid advice!

level ane

No what you do is paint the ceiling starting time, lap a bit of it onto the walls and into the corner. Then pigment the walls, use an edger but practice commencement, because they can be tricky. Or utilize a castor to cut in the corners. Go piece of cake because sometimes the corners aren't perfect. If there is some gouge in the corner and it'southward white anyhow, it'southward non noticeable

IMO tape is and so yous don't go pigment on the door frame, wood trim etc

level two

Gotcha! Thank you for the tip! I'm such an amateur!

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Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/HomeImprovement/comments/gu52k2/can_i_touch_up_a_ceiling_with_white_paint_or_will/