Painting your ceiling can transform a room.
However, you might realize that you like the color you chose for your ceiling.
You may consider using it on some of your walls.
That said, you may be unsure if you can paint your walls with the paint used for your ceiling.
Before you start painting your walls with ceiling paint, it’s worth knowing whether it’s a good idea or not.
Can You Use Ceiling Paint On Walls?
Yes, you can use ceiling paint on walls.
A lot of people will choose to use ceiling paint on walls because it creates a seamless color.
For example, someone might choose to use white ceiling paint for the ceiling, and continue to use it on the walls.
Since it’s the same white color and the same paint, it makes the room look larger.
It tends to blur the edges of the wall and extends your eye up to the ceiling.
A way to make a small room feel larger is by painting the walls with the same paint that you used for the ceiling.
As such, it’s completely fine to use ceiling paint on walls.
Is There a Difference Between Ceiling Paint And Wall Paint?
There’s one main difference between ceiling paint and wall paint.
Ceiling paint has a higher viscosity than wall paint.
Viscosity, which uses the units KU or Krebs Unit, determines how thick something is.
When it comes to ceiling paint, it’s thicker than wall paint.
It retains its thickness by having more solids in it.
The reason paint mixers make ceiling paint with high viscosity is that they don’t want ceiling paint to drip.
If you use latex-based paint for your walls, you’ll notice that the paint tends to drip from the wall.
The reason latex-based paint is popular for walls is that it’s easy to spread along the wall.
It results in fewer streaks since it’s able to go smoothly down the surface.
While this works well for walls, it’s a nightmare for ceilings.
You’d have paint dripping all over the floor.
To avoid drips that cause a mess, ceiling paint is thicker and less likely to drip.
As such, if you want to paint your walls with ceiling paint, you might find it a bit more difficult.
There might be a bit more friction on your roller since there are more solids in the paint.
That said, you also won’t face problems with dripping as much.
When choosing between ceiling paint and wall paint, it’s important to remember that ceiling paint has a higher KU number than wall paint.
Can You Use Ceiling Paint As A Primer?
Yes, you can use ceiling paint as a primer.
In fact, a lot of people will use ceiling paint on walls as a primer.
Because ceiling paint is thick, it acts as a great primer for walls.
It makes the wall stickier, in a sense, which means when you paint the wall later, the pigments will have an easier time attaching to the surface.
You might find that you’re usually runny paint isn’t quite as runny after priming the wall with ceiling paint.
At the very least, you can enjoy a high-quality painting job after using it as a primer.
Using ceiling paint as a primer can also save you money.
If you need to paint your ceiling, you can buy a large can.
Once you’re done painting the ceiling, you can then use it to prime your walls.
You can save money by skipping primer specifically for your walls.
It’s one less thing to purchase.
Ceiling paint works great as a primer for your walls.
Are Ceiling Paints Thicker Than Regular Paint?
Yes, ceiling paint is typically thicker than regular wall paint.
That’s because it has more solid particles in it.
The pigments tend to be chunkier.
Paint manufacturers specifically make ceiling paint thick to reduce the chance of dripping.
The last thing their clients want is to have paint drip on furniture.
Because ceiling paint is thicker, it’s less runny and more likely to stick to itself.
Ceiling paint is usually thicker than standard wall paint.
Can You Use Ceiling Paint On Doors?
No, you shouldn’t use ceiling paint on doors.
While ceiling paint can be a great primer for walls, it’s less ideal for doors.
Here are a few reasons you shouldn’t use ceiling paint on doors.
1. Ceiling Paint Collects Dirt
Ceiling paint is rather sticky.
Even if you run your hand over the paint when it’s dry, it may not feel sticky, but chemically, it is.
Because it has more solid particles in it, it’s more likely to collect dirt and grime.
That’s why it’s common to find stains on your ceiling or have dust bunnies lurking at the top corners of your walls.
Its “sticky“ nature makes it ideal for collecting dirt.
This isn’t what you want for your doors.
Whether they’re interior or exterior doors, they see a lot of use.
People are constantly touching them and opening and closing them.
Because they receive a lot of touching, dirt naturally collects on them, too.
If you were to use ceiling paint on a door, the door would quickly become dirty.
Instead, you want to use latex-based or oil-based paint.
These are more suitable for doors since they’re not quite as sticky as a ceiling paint.
You might even find paint specifically made to protect doors from grime.
By not using ceiling paint on your doors, you can keep them clean longer.
2. Ceiling Paint Isn’t Ideal For Scrubbing
Because of the number of solids in ceiling paint, scrubbing the paint can damage it.
This is a problem if you want to use ceiling paint on a door.
Because your door is going to become grubby and dirty faster with ceiling paint on it, you’re going to want to clean it more often.
However, because of the solids in ceiling paint, any sort of scrubbing can damage the paint.
You might chip it or scratch it.
You’ll end up keeping your doors dirty to avoid damaging the paint.
By using a type of paint that’s more appropriate for your doors, you can scrub them down without worrying about losing the paint in the process.
3. Lack Of Aesthetics
A final reason you shouldn’t use ceiling paint on doors is that it doesn’t look great.
While ceiling paint looks great on the ceiling, it looks less stellar on doors.
It can make a door look rough or odd.
It might even appear boring.
Doors that have some sheen or gloss to them tend to look a bit more interesting.
You might end up messing with your room’s aesthetic if you use ceiling paint on your doors.
Should Ceiling Paint Be Flat Or Eggshell?
Ceiling paint should be flat rather than eggshell.
When you’re looking at choosing different types of paint, you may find one option labeled as eggshell.
This isn’t a type of paint that you should use on your ceiling because it contains gloss.
Gloss reflects light.
If you were to use it on your ceiling, all the light that shines on the ceiling would reflect off it.
You could end up with some serious glare.
Gloss also has a habit of showing imperfections.
Since it reflects the light, it can also make scratches and lumps more obvious.
Flat paint, on the other hand, is ideal for ceilings.
It’s a matte paint that can help conceal any imperfections in your ceiling.
More importantly, it won’t blind anyone who happens to glance up at your ceiling at the wrong time.
When choosing between flat paint or eggshell paint for your ceiling, choose flat.
How Many Coats Of Paint Should You Put On A Ceiling?
At the very least, you should put two coats of paint on the ceiling.
The first coat of paint often acts like a primer on itself when it spreads across the actual primer.
There’s a chance that the initial coat won’t spread across the ceiling well.
That’s especially true since you’re working with thicker paint.
The second coat covers any areas that didn’t receive enough paint.
It also makes the color more uniform.
A third coat of paint isn’t a bad idea either, but if you want to do the bare minimum, two coats of paint should get you by.
Is It Better To Paint The Ceiling With A Roller Or Brush?
It’s better to paint a ceiling with a roller.
When you paint a wall, you usually have the option of choosing either a brush or roller.
Rollers can make painting a lot faster and easier.
However, brushwork allows you to have more control.
When it comes to your ceiling, using a roller is usually the best option.
It can spread the paint quickly across its surface.
Since the ceiling is usually out of reach, using a roller can remove the need for a ladder.
That said, you might find it helpful to use a brush to take care of the edges.
If you’re planning to paint a ceiling, you’ll want to start with a roller at the very least.
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