Use a tinted primer if you are applying a dark color of paint on your ceiling.
Under normal circumstances, you do not need to prime a ceiling prior to painting; however, in certain instances, a primer base is required. Learn when to apply an adhesive primer to your ceiling and when to bypass this step, or you could end up with extra expenses or outright finish failure.
Drywall Ceiling
You do not need to prime a drywall ceiling prior to painting. This is true even if the drywall is coated with knockdown, orange peel, acoustic or other types of texture. Because these materials are relatively porous, they accept paint adhesion quite well. If you apply a quality flat latex paint directly over a textured or untextured drywall ceiling, the finish will prove durable.
Wood Ceilings
If you apply paint directly over a bare wood ceiling, peeling will result. To encourage good adhesion, apply a particular type of primer based on the condition of the ceiling. If the wood is bare and unfinished, apply a water-based latex primer. If the ceiling is stained, latex primer will not cover or adhere well; instead, apply a shellac-based stain-blocking primer.
Stains
If your drywall ceiling is marred with water or smoke stains, you must seal these areas with a primer before you paint over them, or the stains will inevitably bleed through. Spot-prime these stains with a shellac-based stain-blocking primer. You don't need to prime the entire ceiling --- just those areas marred by stains.
Exceptions
Although you do not need to apply primer to previously painted ceilings, there are some instances when it could prove useful. If you plan to add a very light color of paint to a dark ceiling, a white latex primer base coat can help encourage a more uniform finish and decrease the need for multiple coats of paint. The same is true if you plan to paint a white ceiling with a very dark color of paint; except in this instance you should use a tinted latex primer.
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