How to Paint a Pine Ceiling

Pine ceilings have a rustic, old world feel to them, and when painted correctly, they can be a beautiful addition to your home. Paint wiping is a technique used to eliminate excess paint so that the natural grain of the pine wood can show through while still coloring the wood.

Step 1

Cover the floors and any furniture in the room that cannot be removed with drop cloths.

Step 2

Vacuum the ceiling to remove any dirt or cobwebs.

Step 3

Thin the oil based semi-gloss enamel paint with paint thinner. Add 1 pint of thinner to 1 gallon of paint. Stir the thinner into the paint with a wooden paint stick.

Step 4

Test to ensure that you have thinned the paint enough. Paint a small 2-inch patch on the pine ceiling with a paintbrush. Wipe it off with a rag. If the color remains and you can see the grain of the wood showing through, it is thin enough to paint with.

Step 5

Dip a short-nap 1/8-inch paint roller into the paint and apply the paint to the ceiling. Cover the ceiling with the paint. Paint the corners and edges with a paintbrush. Clean off any paint drips with a rag if any run onto the walls.

Step 6

Wait five minutes. Wipe off the enough paint from the ceiling with a rag to reveal the grain of the wood.