How to paint water stained ceiling?

Question

hello - we had a water leak in the bedroom and unfortunately it has stained the ceiling. We have already had someone come by and check it and the issue has been fixed but now I’m left with a big stain here. I just wanted to ask can I directly paint over it or was there extra steps I need to do to cover it? 
Thank you!

junglejellybean · Answer

Thank you Mitchell!

MitchellMc · Answer

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @junglejellybean. It's fantastic to have you join us and many thanks for your question on painting over stains.

I’d strongly recommend starting with a stain-blocking primer before applying any ceiling paint. Water stains are notorious for bleeding back through standard topcoats, even after several layers, so the best approach is to use a dedicated product such as Zinsser CoverStain Primer Sealer Stain Blocker. Apply at least two coats, possibly three, allowing each coat to dry fully before the next.

Once the primer has completely sealed the stain, you can go over the area with your ceiling paint, and it should blend back in seamlessly. You may want to paint the entire ceiling to achieve a consistent result.

Here's a helpful guide: How to paint a ceiling.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell