Ceiling painting without roller marks, patches or overspray.
Ceilings are unforgiving. They catch light across their whole width, so every lap mark and missed patch shows, and they are the first surface to reveal a leak.
- Free site inspection
- Written, itemised quote
- 1-year workmanship warranty
- Same-day callback
At a glance
Why are ceilings harder to paint than walls?
Light travels across a ceiling rather than down it, so lap marks, roller texture and patchy coverage show far more than they would on a wall. Working overhead also makes it harder to keep a wet edge. Ceilings are also where water damage shows up first, so stains often need sealing before painting rather than just being painted over.
When this is the answer, and when it is not.
Sending you to the wrong service wastes your money and our time. This is how to tell.
This is likely right if
- The ceiling has yellowed or dulled while the walls were repainted
- There are isolated stains from a past, now-fixed leak
- A room is being repainted and the ceiling would otherwise let it down
- Cornices or a false ceiling need finishing with the rest of the room
Something else comes first if
- There is an active leak, that has to be traced and stopped first
- The ceiling plaster is sagging or hollow, which needs repair
- Mould keeps returning, which is a ventilation or moisture problem
What the service includes.
Stain assessment
We check whether marks are old and dry or a symptom of something still leaking.
Full floor and furniture protection
Overhead work drips. Everything below is sheeted before we start.
Stain sealing
Water and smoke marks blocked with a suitable primer so they do not bleed through.
Crack and joint filling
Shrinkage cracks and board joints filled and sanded.
Even finish coats
Applied maintaining a wet edge, so the surface reads uniform under daylight.
Cornice and edge cutting
Clean lines where the ceiling meets the wall, cornice or false ceiling.
Not included, or quoted separately
- Tracing and repairing the source of an active leak
- Structural or sagging ceiling repair
- False ceiling installation and carpentry
- Electrical fittings, fans and light removal or refitting
- Waterproofing of the floor or terrace above
The sequence.
Check for active moisture
A stain that is still damp means the leak is live. We will not paint over it.
Protect everything below
Floors, furniture and fittings covered completely.
Fill and sand
Cracks, joints and any damage made good.
Seal stains
So old marks do not reappear through the new coat.
Apply evenly
Working to maintain a wet edge across the whole ceiling.
Inspect under daylight
Checked in natural light, which is where lap marks show, then touched up.
What moves the price on this job.
We do not publish a rate, because it would change once someone measured your property. These are the variables that decide it.
- Measured ceiling area and the ceiling height
- Whether stains need sealing before painting
- Extent of crack and joint filling
- Cornices, mouldings or a false ceiling to cut around
- Access needed, high ceilings mean towers rather than ladders
- Whether the room is furnished and needs protecting
Ceiling Painting — your questions.
There is a water stain. Will paint cover it?
Only if the leak is fixed and the ceiling has dried. Even then, water stains bleed through emulsion, so they need a stain-blocking primer first. If the stain is still damp, we will tell you to fix the source before we paint anything.
Do ceilings need two coats?
Usually, because uneven coverage shows badly overhead. A single coat rarely reads uniform across a whole ceiling, particularly where a stain has been sealed.
Can you paint the ceiling without repainting the walls?
Yes, and it often makes a room look noticeably fresher on its own. We mask the wall line carefully so the cut is clean.
What about fans and light fittings?
We mask around them. Removal and refitting is electrical work and outside our scope, so if a fitting needs to come down, arrange that before we arrive.
Let us look at your walls first.
Tell us about the property and we will set up a free colour and wall inspection. You get a written, itemised quotation afterwards, with no obligation to go ahead.
- We call you back the same day to get a picture of the property and the surfaces.
- We agree a time and come out for the free inspection.
- You get the written scope and itemised quotation.
- Nothing starts until you approve it.