Blotchy, patchy looking walls and ceilings. Even when you use good quality paint, you can still get a uneven appearance under certain circumstances. If you follow a couple of simple procedures and rules, you should be able to get professional looking uniformity with all your painted surfaces.
Not all blotchiness is paint related
Some blotchiness is the result of drywall unevenness and not a fault of the paint or paint application. Using the right paint will minimize this to large extent.a
Paint ceilings with a "dead flat" paint when possible
Imperfections on ceilings whether from improper paint choice or poor application technique are much more noticeable than imperfections on a wall. Light shines across the ceiling and amplifies any unevenness for all eyes to see. One of the most important factors in achieving that flawlessly uniform appearance is to use a "dead flat" paint on ceilings. In order to improve a flat paint's washability, manufacturers will make some of their flat paints with a slight low angle sheen, don't use these flat paints on ceilings. While this improves the paint's washability, it can show imperfections in application or on the surface. Most large ceilings in bedrooms, family rooms, dining rooms etc.. should be painted with a dead flat paint.
Bath rooms or laundry rooms where sheen paints are desirable, can usually be painted with a low luster eggshell or satin paint because the lighting is not as good in these rooms. Also, in small rooms you can't get the angle needed when viewing the ceiling to notice most imperfections, so you can "get away with'' some sheen in the ceiling paint there.
Walls are less likely to show blotchiness
Just about any flat paint on a wall will look nice and uniform. The exception to this rule would be a high wall that light from a window shines directly across it. Large walls as such, will sometimes look better with a dead flat. While you can apply the paint to a large wall in small 4' x 4' sections, you will need to "lay it off" with your roller by rolling from the top to the bottom of the wall in one continuous motion, to eliminate any lapping.
Double roll all satin or eggshell paints
Sheen paints will either need to be double rolled or double coated to avoid sheen variances in the highs and lows of the roller stipple. Sheen uniformity over drywall repairs will also necessitate a double coat or double roll approach too. Painters with less experience will probably need to double coat rather than double roll, the later requires a sense of timing which is acquired with experience.
Seal the surface prior to painting
Probably the most common cause of a blotchy looking ceiling or wall is painting over an poorly sealed surface. If a ceiling has been painted with many coats of flat paint over the years, you will find that it sucks up the paint and causes the paint to dry too quickly causing lap marks all over the ceiling. Seal the surface prior to painting it. One coat of BIN primer will seal the surface preventing uneven absorption and allowing longer working time to enable most ceilings to be painted without lap marks all over the place.
How to Achieve Uniformity on Ceiling and Walls
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