How to Install a Popcorn Ceiling With a Roller

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Things You'll Need

  • Sheets or tarps

  • Painting suit

  • Eye goggles

  • Primer

  • Short-nap paint roller

  • Paint pan

  • Paint roller extension

  • Textured ceiling paint

  • Looped texture paint roller

  • Spackle (optional)

Add texture to a boring smooth ceiling.

Textured popcorn ceilings insulate a room, absorb sound and break up the monotonous look of smooth ceilings. Typically, popcorn ceiling installers use a spray gun and hopper to force the perlite "popcorn" onto the ceiling. This method requires nonprofessionals to rent a spray gun specifically for the purpose of popcorn ceiling installation. Ceiling texture paint allows you to easily apply perlite popcorn to your ceiling manually with a roller so you can avoid costly equipment rentals.

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Step 1

Cover all flooring and furniture with sheets or tarps. Put on a painting suit and protective eye goggles.

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Step 2

Stir the primer paint and pour it into a paint pan. Slide a short-nap roller onto a paint roller frame and extension. Roll the paint roller in the primer and then roll it onto the ribbed area of the paint pan to remove any excess primer.

Step 3

Apply a coat of primer to the ceiling to cover any stains, using a back-and-forth motion. Allow the primer to dry. Rinse the primer off the paint pan and roller.

Step 4

Stir the textured paint and pour it into a paint pan. Apply a thin coat of textured paint, using a damp short-nap roller in a back-and-forth motion, working on one 4-foot by 4-foot section at a time. Allow this coat to dry for five minutes.

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Step 5

Slide a looped texture paint roller onto a paint roller frame and extension. Apply a second coat of textured paint in a slow back-and-forth motion, working on one 4-foot by 4-foot section at a time.

Tip

Patch any ceiling cracks or holes with Spackle prior to applying primer.

Warning

Do not paint ceilings with textured paint in cold weather that's below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

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