OT - Matching Latex Ceiling Paint

[f-x-d-w-g]

Had to repair the ceiling due to a water spill upstairs.  After letting it dry for 6 months (maybe just lazy  ), I removed a section of joint tape and repaired the joint with tape and mud.  I have a can of shellac primer/stain blocker for the next step but, after that, how can I avoid painting the entire ceiling?  We have an open design floor plan and the entire first floor would have to be painted if I can't match it acceptably and I hate painting!

The local hardware store has a paint matching computer and I saved some of the chips to take to them for matching, but I'm still concerned about matching a 2 ft² section to the rest of the ceiling.  I saw paint matching on one of the Power Block shows where he sprayed full color for part of the coverage, then cut it 50% with clear and sprayed a bit more towards the stock color, then cut the paint another 50%, etc...  Would that technique work with water-based latex paint and a brush or roller?

I was thinking of using full-strength paint on the center of the repair then thinned paint further out and so on...

[Rags722]

Lots of luck.  I painted the entire ceiling for a perfect match, then dinged the damned thing 2 days later while moving the ladder while painting the walls.  Nothing much, just a slight scuff.  I went back over the spot with a roller using the exact same can of paint I used 2 days before and it sticks out like a sore thumb. I know the color is spot on, but the texture must be just a tick off.  I can't imagine getting a perfect match that does not show up using new paint on a repair job.
Rags

[Horizonmech]

I've flipped more than a couple house's in my day and the only thing I've learned is to bite the bullet and do the whole surface, to damn hard to match the color of aged paint not to mention the sheen........if the match is not spot on you look at it every time you walk in the door.....perhaps a pro will chime in with some secrets but I haven't found any.......

[f-x-d-w-g]

Not very encouraging.  I absolutely hate house painting.  Just paid $4,200 to have the outside done and had a quote of $900 to make the repair and paint the downstairs ceiling.  I did the repair for about $25 in materials (and I have a LOT left over).  I guess I'll just give it a try and plan on painting the whole ceiling, about 1,600 sq ft.

[truck]

After you're done practicing on your place, come on down and do mine. I have the same thing going on here.
I was planning on using the method you described in the origional message but with new paint. Eh, I guess it can wait a couple more years.

[HotRock]

Just paint a little white fluffy cloud, or maybe several, and be done with it.   

[texaskatfish]

f-x-d-w-g

Pahdnah don't shoot the messenger - before my head on collision back in Aug of 2000 - my gig in Denver was all manner of drywall touch up and repairs on brand new homes right before final paint / final clean / customer closing the deal and moving in.(this included everything from tiny pin holes all the way up to re-doing entire rooms)

I used to tell new home owners ALL the time (because it's human nature they gotta watch their home in every detail - it's a LOT of money right?) - I'd tell them when they wanted to wander thru during MY part of the final process: "Mr. or Mrs. homeowner there's ONE place in this house I cannot patch - that one place is YOUR BRAIN. If you walk through here and focus on what I'm doing even GOD can never make it "go away" in your perception. BUT................if you leave now and let me and the painters finish our jobs to the best of our abilities I'll challenge you to find A N Y T H I N G I fix........."

The only way I know to "kill" a newly painted area on any ceiling (unless there just aint no windows anywhere close by that provide that dreaded 'horizontal light' that highlights every damn thing) - is "maybe" you could paint right up to an entrance or room transition and put up a fancy pc of trim to "break up the line" - other than that ya gotta do the whole lid.................

[HenryJ]

You can try every trick you can think of but it will show and you'll end up painting the whole thing any way.  Save your self a lot of time and trouble and just paint the whole thing to start with.   Ceilings are the easiest part of the house to paint anyway.  No door or windows to cut around. 

[cig]

2'X2' area? Might be a good place for a sky light. 

[harpo1313]

you can paint the repair area ,then feather your dry roller into the adjoining area .i guess fading would be the word.its doable if the ceiling are not too stained

[Hossamania]

I was a house painter for 5 years. I thought I'd never finish that house!

[seattledyna]

yer on your own...I hate housepaint  lol

[surf]

Mike, I worked in  lot of houses and  seen a couple of auto or bike painters get frustrated trying to get  drywall to look as good as his sheetmetal. Our sheetrocker used to say "It's drywall, it ain't perfect"

[seattledyna]

surf, I guess thats it, and the quality of the best house paint money can buy cant compare to even bargain auto paints...I always like to say "its not my union" lol

I have some friends though that are masters when it comes to house painting, dont know how they do it, funny...but thats what they say to me also

[sawbrk1]

35 years in drywall..........gawd I'm old.
Make sure to paint the patch first, and then if it doesn't blend paint the rest of the ceiling, and your patch again.
If your paint is only a year or two old, you have a chance of it matching.
Put a few light coats of paint on the patch, and let it dry in between coats. Then if it doesn't match you can paint the whole thing. Check in between coats to see how close it is to matching.
It all depends on how picky you are. When I send a repair guy into a home, he tells the homeowner to show them what they see. If he were to fix everything he saw, he could be there for days.
                                                                                                                saw

[guitar sam]

the first thing you need to do is WAIT.

WAIT enough years till the entire ceiling needs painting, and do it all at once. 

if anyone askes why you dont try a patch job, just thell them you would never be able to match it and move on.

now if it was your bike, thats a different story.

gs

[f-x-d-w-g]

Cig, it's a 2 story house so the skylight is out.

Katfish, I'd already thought of trim pieces to isolate the room.  It's the great room (family, dining, kitchen) so I'd only save half of the ceiling.

The house (and ceiling paint) is about 20 years old but I saved some chips from digging out the repair area and hope the store can match it using their computer.

Feathering with a dry roller sounds like a great idea and I'll give it a try along with multiple coats, etc.  If all else fails, I'll redo the ceiling.

I did the shellac coating yesterday and the repairs look good but they're shiny while the rest of the ceiling is flat.  I'd be happy with that and may leave it that way until we move which I hope will be soon...

[Ridetard]

I would use "kilz" sealer primer.  Then repaint the entire thing otherwise it will never be perfect.

Thats just me.

[Rags722]

The house (and ceiling paint) is about 20 years old but I saved some chips from digging out the repair area and hope the store can match it using their computer.

Ah, come on.... if the paints that old, a fresh coat is more than overdue.  I could see if it was just painted in the last few years, but now it makes sense to give the whole thing a fresh coat.... nah, make that 2 coats.