Popcorn and textured ceilings have been popular in many homes for years. If you’re looking to do some DIY painting around your home, you’ve likely considered freshening up your popcorn ceilings or adding texture to them for the first time. While the concept seems easy enough, knowing how to get started can be overwhelming.
In order to do your home justice, you’ll need to invest in the right tools. If the world of paintbrushes, roller brushes, spray guns, and stipple brushes is confusing to you, this article will help you by covering the following:
- Top 3 paintbrushes for textured ceilings
- 4 smoothest paint roller brushes for popcorn ceilings
- 3 best spray guns for painting ceilings
- Best way to paint a textured ceiling: brush or roller?
- How to use a stipple brush for ceiling texture
Before we get into how to make proper use of each type of brush, let’s dive into the best products currently available. If you’re looking to give multiple surfaces in your home a makeover, don’t forget to also check out the best paintbrushes for trim.
Top 3 paintbrushes for textured ceilings
Using a paintbrush to paint your entire textured ceiling wouldn’t be very efficient, but it’s still the best tool when it comes to cutting in your ceilings or doing minor touch-ups. If you need to look for a paintbrush for a textured ceiling, these are our recommendations. Don’t forget to also check out the costs to paint ceilings to get an idea of the total amount of money you’ll need to spend.
1. Wooster Shortcut Angle Sash Brush
Image Credit: Amazon.ca
Quantity: 1
Size: 2 inches
Material: Nylon/Polyester
Best Feature: Short, flexible handle
The Wooster Shortcut Angle Sash Brush is one of the best brushes for intricate projects, so it makes sense that we'd recommend it for cutting in your ceiling. The brush includes a short, flexible handle that allows you to easily and comfortably focus on carefully painting surfaces. The white Nylon and gold Polyester bristles also create a beautiful finish for the edges of your ceiling.
2. Purdy Clearcut Elite Glide Angular Trim Brush
Image Credit: Amazon.ca
Quantity: 1
Size: 3 inches
Material: Nylon/Polyester
Best Feature: Stiff, angled bristles
The Purdy Clearcut Elite Glide Brush is a great brush for guaranteeing a high-quality finish on the edges of your ceiling. The stiff, angled bristles help create clean lines and make painting corners easier. The brush is also designed to allow for easy use and control.
3. Purdy XL Dale Angular Trim Brush
Image Credit: Amazon.ca
Quantity: 1
Size: 2 inches
Material: Nylon/Polyester
Best Feature: Angled bristles
The Purdy XL Dale Brush is another great option for cutting in your ceiling. The angled bristles are made of a high-quality Nylon-Polyester blend, allowing for careful precision and a great finish. The wooden handle is also designed to make painting easier.
4 smoothest paint roller brushes for popcorn ceilings
Chances are you might be leaning towards using a paint roller as a faster, affordable way to cover your textured ceiling. If you’re leaning towards using one, these are our recommendations for a paint roller brush for popcorn ceilings.
1. Purdy WhiteDove Mini Roller
Image Credit: Amazon.ca
Quantity: 1
Size: 3/4 inch
Material: Napped material
Best Feature: Designed for textured surfaces
The Purdy WhiteDove Mini Roller was created with popcorn ceilings in mind. The napped roller cover is specially designed to apply paint beautifully to textured surfaces, and to do so for longer. The pole is easy to handle and it can be used with a variety of paint types.
2. Wooster Lambswool Roller Cover
Image Credit: Amazon.ca
Quantity: 1
Size: 3/4 inch
Material: Lambswool
Best Feature: Quality material
The Wooster Lambswool Roller Cover is an affordable and quality option for a beautifully painted popcorn ceiling. The lambswool allows for the roller to hold on to paint and easily apply it for a consistent look across the surface. You'll still need to purchase a pole to hold the cover, but this is a prime option if you're working with quality paints.
3. HomeRight PaintStick EZ-Twist
Image Credit: Amazon.ca
Quantity: 1
Size: ⅜-¾ inch
Material: Napped material
Best Feature: Holds paint inside the roller brush
The HomeRight PaintStick EZ-Twist is an innovative roller that is especially helpful for painting textured ceilings. It allows you to easily load the paint inside the long roller, which means you won’t have to use a ladder or constantly bend over for more paint. The napped roller cover also helps to ensure you spend more time painting your ceiling.
4. Wooster Super Doo-Z Roller Kit
Image Credit: Amazon.ca
Quantity: 1
Size: 3/8 inch
Material: Napped material
Best Feature: Quality finish
The Wooster Super Doo-Z Roller Kit comes with everything you need to paint your ceiling. The included roller features a nap roller cover that keeps lines clean and will keep you painting for longer. This roller is great to use with all paints and is easy to handle.
3 best spray guns for painting ceilings
Purchasing or renting a spray gun is considered to be the best option when painting your ceiling because of its efficiency, speed, and quality. If you’re thinking about investing in one, here are our suggestions for the best spray guns for painting a textured ceiling.
1. Wagner Power Tex Texture Sprayer
Image Credit: Amazon.ca
Quantity: 1
Size: Small
Best Feature: Airless sprayer
The Wagner Power Tex Texture Sprayer is designed especially for applying paint to popcorn ceilings. It features a built-in turbine, eliminating the need for an air compressor. The hopper also holds one gallon of paint and it allows you to easily switch between types of surface textures if you're looking to take on additional projects.
2. Hiltex Pneumatic Air Texture Spray Gun
Image Credit: Amazon.ca
Quantity: 1
Size: Small
Best Feature: Durability
One of the more affordable options for sprayers, the Hiltex Pneumatic Air Texture Spray Gun is made of quality material to help you paint your textured walls and ceilings for less. The angled design allows users to easily paint their ceiling and has a locking mechanism to keep coats even and maintain comfort. The hopper holds 1.3 gallons, helping you paint for longer periods of time.
3. Super buy 1.45 Gallon Air Spray Gun
Image Credit: Amazon.ca
Quantity: 1
Size: Small
Best Feature: Lightweight
The Super buy Air Spray Gun is designed to be efficient and easy to use. The sprayer is lightweight with a handle on the hopper and a comfort grip, allowing painters to have better control. As stated in the full name, its hopper can hold 1.45 gallons, which will help users paint for much longer.
Best way to paint a textured ceiling: brush or roller?
Many tend to wonder whether the best way to paint a textured ceiling is with a brush or roller, but you should actually use both. Due to the size and needs of the project, you’ll need a paintbrush and a roller brush in order to paint a textured ceiling efficiently. The regular paintbrush is specifically for cutting in the edges and corners of your ceiling, while the roller should be used to paint the main surface of the ceiling.
When it comes to quality finishes, a spray gun will be the cleanest and easiest to work with; however, they are more difficult to come by than rollers and brushes. Rollers can be a bit messy when being used on a popcorn ceiling, but using them for the bulk of the job will ultimately give you a much nicer finish and be both easier and faster to complete than if you were to use a brush for the entire project.
Use a roller for textured ceilings if...
- You’re looking to repaint all or most of the ceiling.
- You want a high-quality finish.
- You want the job to be as comfortable and safe as possible.
- You want to save time and be more efficient.
Use a paintbrush for textured ceilings if...
- You need to cut in the edges of your ceiling.
- You need to do a minor touch-up.
How to use a stipple brush for ceiling texture
If your ceiling currently doesn’t have any texture, you’ll need to apply it separately before adding the final coats of paint. Using a stipple brush will help you create the perfect textured look. These are the steps for how to use a stipple brush for texture.
1. Clean your ceiling
If you’re working with an older ceiling, wash it with a sponge to remove any debris and dirt.
2. Apply your primer
Use your brush of choice to coat the surface in your preferred primer. This will help your texture stay put.
3. Apply your texture
Using a napped roller brush, cover the ceiling with a generous layer of texture. Start by covering the edges, then cover the middle of the ceiling in parallel strokes.
4. Wait
Allow the texture an hour to harden after you apply it. This will help you create the textured effect without removing too much of the texture with your brush.
5. Create your texture
Apply additional texture to your stipple brush, then start pressing the brush into the hardened texture. Keep going across the ceiling until you’ve achieved your desired look.
6. Flatten the stipple
If your texture has any sharp edges, you can use a drywall knife to remove them by running it over the texture.
7. Apply primer again
Apply one more coat of primer over your textured ceiling. You are now ready to paint!
Now that you know the different ways to paint a textured ceiling, you can get started on your project. If you’re interested in going the professional route instead, the City Painters are here for you. Contact us here or give us a call to get a quote for your project!