Spraying allows you to get paint into all the nooks and crannies of the popcorn easily. Using a brush and roller will remove a fair number of kernels of corn and just won't do the job.

For a non-popcorn, smooth ceiling, still cover everything, wear a mask, goggles and cover your hair, but the brushing can go back and forth without worry. And the roller should be the same as for ...

Q: I have that popcorn type ceiling and want to paint it. What is best, latex semi-gloss or flat? -- Jan A: I like semi-gloss. It tends to repel smoke, dust and other forms of pollution better tha… ...

If you’re painting a particular rough or heavily textured surface, like concrete or those horrible old popcorn ceilings, use a thicker ½-inch nap roller cover.

Hey, remember when the popcorn ceiling was a-poppin'? The embarrassing, weird-memory-inducing, spray-on, paint-on style treatment was wildly popular from the late 1950s to the 1980s.

By far the easiest way to spruce up the ceiling is to paint it. Although you could use a thick-napped roller, the most efficient way is to use an airless sprayer.