Removing water stains from your ceiling with interior painting

Brown or yellow water stains can appear on ceilings for a variety of reasons. At Even Better Painting, clients often request our help with removing and covering unsightly water stains in their homes. Ceiling paint is a great way to cover these stains and keep your home looking clean and new, whether you are moving out, moving in, or just looking to refresh your space. However, simply painting over the stains usually isn’t enough. It is important to address the cause of the stain and follow a careful procedure to ensure full coverage.

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Before painting, find the cause of the water stains

In order to ensure that your home is properly protected from mould and structural damage, it is important to address any underlying issues before covering the water stains with interior paint. Some common causes of water stains on ceilings include:

Plumbing and pipe leaks
Clogged gutters and drainage causing water to pool
Exterior roof damage

Once the issue has been addressed, you can be sure that the stain will not grow in size, and it is time to get to painting!

Cleaning the stained area protects ceiling from spreading mould

Before you begin covering the water stains on your ceiling with paint, make sure to properly clean the area. Using a rag and bleach solution, wipe down the entire area to clean any mould and prevent mould from spreading. Then, dry off the area with a towel and allow it to dry over the course of a few hours before moving onto the next step.

Stain-blocking primers ensure water stains are fully covered

Most interior painting projects can be prepped using a basic, all-purpose primer. When it comes to ceiling stains, using a specialized primer can make the job easier and help to ensure a perfect finish. Our team of professional Vancouver painters suggest a stain and moisture blocking primer. These primers are most often oil based, and prevent the stains from showing through in the final paint job. Moisture blocking primers also help to keep the area clean and dry. Dulux odourless stain blocking primer is a great option for interior projects, especially in areas that are not well-ventilated.

Paint the entire ceiling for even results

Most ceilings are painted with a general white ceiling paint. Even so, painting only over the stained area can lead to mismatched paint colours and uneven finishes. The best way to ensure optimal results is to paint the entire ceiling using ceiling paint and a roller extender.

Tip: Ceiling paint is different than regular interior paint that is used on walls. Be sure to choose a product that is specialized for ceiling painting projects.

Call the pros for help!

Painting a ceiling can be challenging. This is especially true if your home has high ceilings, popcorn ceilings, or significant stains and damage. To make matters worse, correcting a botched ceiling paint job can be a costly and time consuming endeavour. A professional painting contractor can help! Give Even Better Painting a call for your interior painting project in Vancouver! We offer free estimates and can help you fix those pesky water stains to perfection.