# painted ceiling, still see the joints



## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

All that should have been seen and addressed after the first coat of primer.
Sanding paint is just going to make a mess.
Got a picture?


----------



## wengang1 (Jan 19, 2010)

I could see it all after the first and only coat of primer, but I thought that was normal since the mud absorbs differently than the wall. So I put on the first coat of paint. The technique I used wasn't that good, and I painted across the tapered seams, so i though maybe it was roller marks. I sanded lightly and put on my final coat with better technique, and this time in the same direction as the tapered seams. Now I can see that there are indeed two lines running across the ceiling. 

Picture won't do it justice. I can't get the camera to pick up what my eye sees, at least not clearly enough to illustrate the problem.

I'm also not thrilled about sanding paint. I'm wondering if I might just mud over the joints again. I just don't want to start building humps on the ceiling. Right now they are faint lines, clearly showing the width of the taper.

I put a lot of effort into this job and I really did think they looked and felt perfectly smooth before I started priming/painting, but once I started priming, I couldn't be sure what was uneven and what was simply different sheen/color due to mud/wall absorption difference.


----------



## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Sounds like you may have just sanded to much off.


----------



## wengang1 (Jan 19, 2010)

The point is, now I still have to do something to correct it. I'm wondering if the right thing is to sand the joints, remud them, sand, prime again, and paint again.


----------



## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Need to see it. Post a picture.


----------



## ToolSeeker (Sep 19, 2012)

First we need to know what the problem really is. Is the joint standing proud? Take a straight edge and lay it across the joint. If it rocks side to side then feather it out more and build it up on each side. If this is what is needed then just add mud, then sand, prime and repaint.
If you mean you could just see the joints it could be the paint job. You don't say what kind of primer you used. I have had problems with PVC primers flashing (absorbing different in compound than in the drywall.) Also what kind of paint did you use also what brand? Was it a ceiling paint? Ceiling paints are close to dead flat and that really helps to hide imperfections. Not trying to start a brand war but some cheaper paints are not really flat so this telegraphs any slight imperfections.


----------



## Nailbags (Feb 1, 2012)

is your ceiling textured? if not might need to do that to hide the problem. Unless this is just one room and the rest of the house is not textured. you also need to take a level and go across it to see if there is light or if the seams rock. or take a halogen light and shine it across the seams and see were the shadows are. But it sound like time for texture and a knock down.


----------



## eandjsdad (Dec 22, 2013)

toolseeker has this - evaluate those seams before you do anything else. If you find areas that need fill, mark the edges of the depression with a pencil as you go, so you can tell where to put the mud on when you're mudding.

Sanding once it's primed is almost a lost cause - it doesn't work well.


----------



## jeffnc (Apr 1, 2011)

Assuming the paint is flat, not sure what the issue is here. I wouldn't even bother with primer when putting 2 coats of flat white on a ceiling. Anyway, I don't see any need for sanding now. Just mud, sand, repaint.


----------



## Nailbags (Feb 1, 2012)

Now that Christmas is over, I was thinking. And how long did you wait from the time the last coat of mud was sanded to the time you painted? I make the painters wait a good week before they even think of priming. Why because what feels dry mud to the touch is some times not dry enough for the primer or paint. Just a thought as that could have been your problem. Post photos so we can arm chair it better.


----------



## wengang1 (Jan 19, 2010)

I see I never got back to this. Don't remember what I ended up doing, but it ended up looking good. The funny thing is that I found this thread because it happened again with another room 7 years later. The tapered joint on the ceiling looks like it could have used more mud, already primed and painted. I checked it both with a light and with my fingers for shadows, but somehow, it's a bit caved in the full length of the joint. I'm going to do a 10 inch knife of mud down the joint tomorrow, sand, spot prime, and repaint.


----------

