Author Topic: Besides me, will any painters admit to giving ceilings just two coats of primer?  (Read 57695 times)

Offline canadianpainter

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I was thinking about it this morning as I was spraying a few condos.  Years ago when I began painting I'd always use "special" ceiling paint, but somewhere along the line I just stopped doing it and now I just paint ceilings with primer.   I'm wondering how many painters here do the same, if any? 

Offline ProWallGuy

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I've never done that. I bid to paint the ceiling, so I paint the ceiling. But it sounds like you are talking new construction which I won't touch anymore.

Vin

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I use flat ceiling paint when I do them ( which is seldom ) never use primer for anything but base.

Most people just want to use the paint that's up there often off white, it would look better with a brighter white I always tell them but they want to keeps costs down.

Offline chrisn

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I've never done that. I bid to paint the ceiling, so I paint the ceiling.

Me too.

Offline Workaholic

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I've never done that. I bid to paint the ceiling, so I paint the ceiling.
Same here
Sean

Offline Jake

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I bid to paint the ceiling, so I paint the ceiling.

Same here as well.
The only thing that separates Paint from Pain... Is a t.

Offline UUjohn

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ditto
"The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time" (Bertrand Russell)

Offline chrisn

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So far   6 to 1

Offline TallyPainter

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Frankly I believe in a good coat of prime and a top coat.  I hate follow new construction guys on a ceiling repaint because half the time you gotta be so carefull with the popcorn..
  You can really tell how the good contractors are, saddly, it's usually at least five years down the road.

Offline Fred

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Ok Ok I admit it, we used to use a product on ceilings that was a primer/finish. The key words being "used to" It's a product sold By Sherwin that actually had a sheen to it and laid down really nice, we don't do textured ceilings up this way so there is no hiding from a bad finish. The reason we stopped using it was you could not touch it up. We do still use it for "White boxes", and inside garages. And unlike most New Construction primers it paints over really well , just a normal pole sand and off you go.
 
We don't pick the color, we just put them on......

Offline canadianpainter

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Ok Ok I admit it, we used to use a product on ceilings that was a primer/finish. The key words being "used to" It's a product sold By Sherwin that actually had a sheen to it and laid down really nice, we don't do textured ceilings up this way so there is no hiding from a bad finish. The reason we stopped using it was you could not touch it up. We do still use it for "White boxes", and inside garages. And unlike most New Construction primers it paints over really well , just a normal pole sand and off you go.
 

Thanks for the replies everyone! 

Wow.  Your post brought back my memory of how much of a pain it was using actual ceiling paint.  When I first started painting we used Pratt & Lambert paints and I remember doing a bunch of condos and painting the ceilings with the P & L ceiling paint.  The ceilings looked horrible when we finished.  I tried my best to paint them evenly but they all ended up with roller marks; the way the light came in through the patio doors didn't help.  I remember having to go back and touch up some drywall repairs and they ended up making the ceilings look even worse.  Since that job I've been using primer to paint ceilings when I do new construction and they always turn out looking great. 

Also, the problem I've found with ceiling paints is that they tend to be a cooler white than primer (kind of blueish white).  The ceiling paint is slightly brighter but the blueish quality tends to accentuate the texture difference between areas that have been brushed and areas that have been rolled.   

Frankly, I don't think even the best painters can tell the difference between a ceiling that's just been primed and a ceiling that's been painted with ceiling paint.  I use Benjamin Moore Moore Spec primer and it seems to remain about as white as any ceiling paint over time.

O yea, thankfully, popcorn ceilings are far and few around here; they're so ugly I think they should be banned internationally. lol

Offline chrisn

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Frankly, I don't think even the best painters can tell the difference between a ceiling that's just been primed and a ceiling that's been painted with ceiling paint.  ??? ??? :o :o ;D

Offline D. Berry

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I never use primer on ceilings.  I find your comment about Pratt and Lambert interesting.  It is my choice of paint for ceilings.  Our BM dealer sells P & L and also believes it does a superior job.  If you guys and girls haven't tried it, I think you would be doing yourself a favor to try it.  It is hard to see anywhere you rolled.

Offline canadianpainter

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Don't get me wrong, I love Pratt & Lambert paints.  I only ever had one problem with them and that was the ceiling paint.  I can't remember exactly what line it was because it was over ten years ago this happened.  I'd probably still be using P & L if the dealer in my area had offered better service.

Vin

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SO how do you tell the difference at a glance between primer and ceiling paint?

I have primed ceilings before  and it looked good to me  ;D but we have LOTS of acoustic here .