Decorate Concrete Ceilings

Decorate concrete ceilings by adding paint and other small touches.

Concrete ceilings are notorious for having flat and boring appearances. A concrete ceiling provides sturdy ceiling construction, but seemingly little else in the line of personal style or beauty in a room. But when you decorate a concrete ceiling, you provide a touch of flair to an otherwise bleak space. You can decorate a concrete ceiling moderately easily, and you can do so in a short period of time and with a limited budget if necessary. Painting the ceiling, adding hanging plants and installing decorative lights and chandeliers will add to the beauty and value of your home.

Instructions

Painting

1. Calculate how much paint and primer you'll need to adequately coat the ceiling by determining the square footage of the ceiling area. Use the measuring tape to measure the length and width of the ceiling. Multiply the width times the length to find the square footage.

2. Move any furniture in the room to another room to avoid paint damage. Cover any immobile objects with drop cloths.

3. Prepare to prime the ceilings. After purchasing the correct amount of primer and paint, carefully read the mixing instructions. Cut in the edges of the ceiling with a paintbrush, then roll the vast space inside the ceiling borders with a roller, using a paint roller tray for taking up paint onto the roller nap and an extension pole for ease of reaching the ceiling. Apply the primer first and allow the ceiling to dry.

4. Mix the paint after the ceiling primer has been allowed to dry; this will vary depending on the product. Apply one coat of paint at a time until the ceiling looks evenly covered. Allow upward of an hour for the ceiling to dry, depending on the paint's base and room temperature. The can should give you an idea of how long the primer will take to dry.

Hanging Plants

5. Drive anchor sleeves --- with hook or eyelet ends --- into areas where you wish to hang planters using a hammer drill with the appropriate-size masonry drill bit. Allow enough room for the plant to not be a hazard to anyone walking around or underneath the planter.

6. Attach a J-hook to the anchor sleeve hook or eyelet end.

7. Hang the plant by its rope eyelet on a J-hook or from the plastic or metal hanger of a hanging basket.

Chandeliers

8. Turn off the electrical power to the home at the breaker box. Double-check the switch to ensure that it is flipped all the way off; half-flipped switches can flip back to the on position if not pushed all of the way to the off position.

9. Install electrical conduit from the breaker box to a switch in the room where you'll install the chandelier, then to the ceiling where it will hang. Look for any tattering or fraying of the conduit and cut off any conduit that may be damaged.