If you have decided to paint your own home, whether it’s a single room or the entire house, there is no shortage of paint options. When standing in the paint aisle of your home improvement store trying to decide which paint and paint supplies you will need, you will have to select from the following paint options:
Paint Color
Paint Sheen – Flat, Eggshell, Semi-Gloss, Gloss
Brand – Sherwin Williams, Benjamin Moore, Behr, Pittsburgh Paints
Beyond the options listed above, there are a lot of add-ons that many paint manufacturers are trying to get you to buy. One that always seemed like a bit of a scam to me and my customers that I deal with was ceiling paint.
Do I Need to Buy Ceiling Paint?
So, the million dollar question (more like $60 question) is: do I really need to buy a can of ceiling paint?
I don’t think you need to.
If you have basic ceiling that is smooth and is in good shape, you can get away with using a basic flat white paint. It will cover the ceilings, help hide imperfections and do its job. If it’s the middle of the night and you are trying to paint a room quickly, or, if you have a tight budget, using a can of flat white will do the job.
Why Would Anyone Buy Ceiling Paint?
The downside to not using ceiling paint is that most non-ceiling paints are thinner and will drip easily and can create a mess if you are not careful. If you decide to go this route, make sure you take the time to properly cover your furniture and floors to prevent drips from damaging them. Also, make sure to wear some safety glasses to prevent paint from getting into your eyes.
If you want to save yourself some time, the thicker ceiling paint is less prone to dripping and will hopefully make cleanup a bit quicker. Also, many of the ceiling paints will help cover hairline cracks and do a better job at hiding imperfections in your ceiling. This is a must if you have an older home with plaster ceilings.
Happy painting!
Photo Courtesy of: Tu-Whitt Tu-Whoo