How to… from the Handsome Handyman

Let's Start With The Ceiling…

OK… The Diva comes up with the ideas and I have to figure out a way to bring her imagination to life. A little paint, a few simple power tools, a trip to Home Depot or Lowe's, and a little patience is all you need. Most everyone knows how to paint and how to dump clothespins into a canister so I’ll concentrate on how to paint a ceiling pattern.

First, let me say, if you have an older home with “popcorn” ceiling, you will have to do a little extra work if you want this look. An easy, but messy, way to remove that blown-on ceiling and get down to a smooth surface is to use a spray bottle of water and a wide putty knife (Be sure to wear goggles, dust mask, and a hat before starting this task). I suggest removing or covering your furniture with drop cloths. Lightly mist the ceiling with water and gently scrape off the bumps with the putty knife. Once you have all the “popcorn” off the ceiling you will probably have to apply a little sheet-rock mud to the seams or other imperfections. Don’t apply it too thickly; several thin coats are easier to manage than one thick one, and this method takes less sanding. Once your ceiling is sanded smooth and you are satisfied with the results be sure to apply a coat of primer and two coats of your base coat color.

Back to the Diva’s Laundry room ceiling.

Here is a really handy and inexpensive gadget that you can find at your local home improvement store. It’s called a “Chalk Line”. It’s a rolled up string in a nifty little container filled with chalk. (I wonder where they came up with that name?). When you roll up the line with the little crank on the side the chalk coats the cotton string. This thing has been around for years, so it has really been well thought out. I like simple, but very handy little tools like this. See that little tab on the end of the string? It has a tapered hole that, when hooked over a nail, centers the string with the nail. You stretch the string tight and then “snap” the line onto the surface and you have a perfectly straight line. Not only that, it’s a line of chalk which can easily be wiped away with a damp cloth if you change your mind.

Since the Diva wanted to separate the room ceiling into perfect quarters, intersecting in the center, all I had to do was snap two lines, using my Chalk Line, from one corner to the opposite corner and then repeat for the remaining two corners. Now, remember what I said about that little tab on the string? Gravity just didn’t want that thing to stay on a nail in the ceiling. So, with a little help from the Diva to hold one end of the string in one corner and me in the other we accomplished the task in a “snap”… get it?

Now, with the ceiling perfectly divided into four equal parts, let the painting begin. But hold on a minute, a perfectly straight chalk line doesn’t necessarily mean a perfectly straight paint line. Painters tape to the rescue. This stuff is terrific. It stays in place where you put it, and peels off when you want it to, without tearing off the sheetrock on the ceiling or on walls. I like 3M Scotch blue 2090 tape for most general painting projects. 3M will tell you that it can be left on for up to 14 days but the sooner you take it off the easier it will be to remove. As good as it is, there are a few things that you need to know about this wonderful product. First, and foremost, do NOT use this tape on newly painted surfaces. Your base paint job must be at least thirty days old before using this, or any other tape to mask off areas. It’s a good idea to test the tape in an inconspicuous area before unfurling a 60 yard roll of tape around your room. If the tape doesn’t seem to adhere use a tape with slightly more adhesion (Scotch 2060); if your test area pulls off the paint, use a tape with slightly less adhesion (Scotch 2080).

There is still one more thing to consider before sticking up the tape. The Diva envisioned the ceiling base coat color and a contrasting darker color alternating between quarters. An easy way to keep track of which quarter will be painted is to first stick a small piece of painters tape, as a marker, in the two quarters NOT to be painted. Then, concentrating on just one quarter at a time, carefully stick your tape on the side of the line WITH the marker making sure to follow the line closely. Since there was a light fixture in the center of the Diva’s laundry room there was no problem “switching over” from one quarter to the next. You may have to do a little careful cutting of your tape if you don’t have a light to hide the center crossing.

Before painting, carefully go along your tape with the edge of a credit card to make sure it is well stuck to the ceiling along the paint line. After painting wait until the paint is completely dry; consult your paint can for drying times. Carefully remove your painters tape by pulling it back at a 45 degree angle using moderate speed. If you are peeling off paint as you go, you may not have let the paint dry enough or it is a little heavy over the tape. You can carefully score the paint along the edge of the tape with a razor knife to help this situation. Since most ceilings are not perfectly smooth some of your paint will likely bleed under the tape. Try scraping it off first, but you may have to touch up a little with the base color.

Now, stand back and admire…but come back soon to learn how I constructed the cornice board.

Mr. Handsome