suggestions for white ceiling

I had to work around a soffett, but it didn't extend over the screen, but could have been a potential issue for relections. You can check it out here: http://www.avsforum.com/t/1259060/time-to-start-paintin

I painted the soffett to match the ceiling a flat dark brown. I never notice it. The pictures need updating as I've added curtain material all around the screen area sides, top and bottom and I laid a piece of the material on top of the center channel speaker and eliminated that relection. The curtain covers the white door on the left. My side walls are a flat tan (Ralph Lauren suede) that is not a factor with reflection.

If you want to paint, buy some extra ceiling tiles and brackets and paint the first row a flat dark color and wrap that color around the soffett. Even in a non-dedicated room you can change the color if you do it neatly.

I assume that the lights are not on other than when the kids are watching cartoons. Draping some fabric neatly starting from the center channel speaker out past the sides. If you bunch it at the top, widen as you reach the soffet and then let hang once you're past the sides it could be a neat look and formalize the screen side of the room. Print the picture and play with some cutouts. You can dummy it up on the side oposite the soffet to balance the look.

Anyway there's my $.02 worth of suggestions.

The first thing to realize and accept is that under your circumstances, switching to a Gray surface would be very advantageous. Do not doubt the validity or necessity for such a change.

The second thing to get down with is that using Drywall is not just an accepted practice, it can be at times the very best route to take.
Less cost - extremely easy screen placement - screen is almost as indestructible as the wall....and certainly just as repairable. All you have to do is make sure it's as smooth as possible.

Oooo...that 'ol 90"er is a wrinkly mess.

It would seem that 90" will be your new screen size also...or very close to that.

RS-MaxxMudd LL would be the brightest mix to suggest. However Silver Fire would work best to mitigate the reflections those White surfaces bring to bear.

The Ceiling is not nearly as troublesome as is the Soffit / Fur Down. But both need addressing.

Although tastes can and do differ, I have not found many who remain adverse to creating a darkened "Shadow Box" affair at one end of the room after having done so, and none ever fail to see / realize the advantage such an action affords the performance of the PJ / Screen combo.

You don't need to "Blacken" those surfaces. Simply Spray the first row of ceiling Tiles directly over the Screen, and a like depth of the Soffit the same color of the walls (in "Flat"). Or perhaps the same color only 2-3 shades darker. That will do wonders for abating...if not actually eliminating your reflection based issues. And...if you produce a new Silver Fire v2.5 3.0 Screen and also address the ceiling / Soffit, you'll make that 8350 perform like a 5020

Well I hope you can convince the Headmaster of the real need and positive benefits.

In many ways, painting the underside of the entire Soffit the same color as the Walls is a very "Decor-oriented" solution. I'm pretty sure once done, it will be a very well liked and commented on piece of decor.

That'sallright. I'll always defer to MM, but like to throw in what little I've learned over time.

Just bite the bullet and paint it black.

Screen wall with white ceiling and big soffit like yours:


Now painted black:

Spraying Latex / Acrylic Water based paint is not like spraying Acrylic Car Enamels. Yes, you have to mask off the area and use some common sense in protectibg nearby surfaces, but the overspray from such House paints that does not stick to the surface being painted essentially dries in the air and falls as dust. Only on very close proximity areas where such small amounts of over spray as a HVLP Gun does allow to be produced can reach has the potential to get "sticky", and that won't happen if any care in masking such areas is applied.

Silver Fire is an application that merits the extra effort that spraying takes. You already know that painting a Car finish with a Roller or Brush would produce unacceptable results. Painting the best possible surface for a Screen is no different, plus if metallic content exists in the Paint, it becomes all the more desirable...if indeed mandatory.

Masking the surrounding walls and ceiling out at least 4' is usally all that is required. I personally use the really inexpensive 3-pack of 9' x 12' x .7 mil plastic sheets from HD, and for certain, masking 9' out leaves you with absolutely no worries.

Use a 2.0 mil 9' x 12' er for the floor and your......covered.

Compressor-fed HVLPs have to deal with water / rust contamination. I loved them when there was no alternative and urged DIY'ers to make the necessary expenditure..

No more. Getting a Graco 2900 with the accessory 1.5 mm Tip for a combined price of $85.00 (...what you'd pay for a "good" HVLP Pressure fed Gun...) and then being able to spray without having to deal with a big Rig, long hoses, Water / Rust Filters, draining the Tank afterwards......sheesh, there just isn't any sense in putting up with all of that unless you already have such a complete rig in hand.

Best Price for a 2900
http://www.amazon.com/Factory-Reconditioned-Graco-HV2900-Paint-Station/dp/B005QQ0AFS?SubscriptionId=AKIAIVHGDKVAW6NH5SWA&tag=factoryfree-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B005QQ0AFS

Other Sources
http://www.ebay.com/itm/GRACO-HV2900-39-CFM-450W-HVLP-House-Paint-Spray-Station-Machine-System-Painter-/230791007590
http://www.vminnovations.com/Product_17437/Graco-HV2900-House-Paint-Spray-Station-Refurbished-GRACO2900-RB.html

Needle Kit

http://www.sprayplace.com/hvlp-sprayers/hvlp-sprayers/hvlp/1-5-mm-needle-kit.html
Edited by MississippiMan - 2/6/13 at 8:34am

BullsEye Primer is good...and it doesn't need nearly the thinning that Kilz2 does to work well with HVLP.

If the Doable Board is pristine, with no mar-marks, then simply wiping it down with a clean, dry "Magic Eraser" is all you need to do, then just "Duster Coat" the SF.

This is what I did with my white ceiling in a non-dedicated HT/living room....No comprimises at all with the black going out from the screen in an 'arch' about 7 feet, with velvet soffet above screen. I now have a bigger screen (115" diag)

Should not be "private" Send me the link you tried.

If you hand sort the stack of TWH, usually you can find a really clean sheet.

Man....that was a hoary old link !

Not sure why it was marked Private though.....,

Almost any video I have up showing me painting a Screen would apply to a TWH project though.

http://www.avsforum.com/t/1152514/videos-of-stirring-straining-spraying-and-cleaning-up-after-you-spray-silver-fire

As someone who has some past experience, you know that doing a test evaluation as to how well atomization is occurring, and how dense and even a pattern is being laid down is essential as to deciding speed, distance, and overlap.

Because of the above, you could look at several Videos and see differences in all those parameters. Myself, because I know exactly what to look for, I do at time slow down....just enough to lay down more paint to reduce my number of coats. But under those circumstances, I often assist drying with the use of heat and / or Fans. Basically, I cannot expect to be able to convince every / most DIY'ers to follow suit, so that is why Duster Coats help serve to even the odds for NOOBs.

As a general rule, most are instructed to observe a specific (...but somewhat generalized...) flow rate off the Mixing Tool and through a Nylon Sock Strainer. If such dictates are followed, and a 2.0 Needle used, Duster Coats applied at 3' per second laterally are the accepted norm to prevent excessive amounts of paint being laid down and the ensuing Runs that result.

Because water based paints lack the "adhesive stickiness" inherent in Enamels, and also must be thinned to flow easily through a HVLP, the paint will slide and/ or run much easier. Back before I started thinning paint with water, and putting 45 PSI at the Gun, even the 2.2 mm Tip on my Ingersoll Rand HVLP would choke up. Over spray (Dust) was extreme. The painted Surface would present a "Sand-papery" texture. Then, a Auto Painter took me by the ear while I was in Vancouver, BC and showed me how adding water could / does make all the difference. Yes, technique must adjust to the thinner material, but the result was the same as spraying a Enamel or Clear Coat onto a Car. Smooth, almost Glass-like finish.

No...you cannot spray a screen in such a manner. Even if the Gun was capable of such a severe sideways position...AND you could suspend yourself over the material and float between each row, there would be consequences from shooting a pressurized stream down onto a flat surface (Think: Pressure washing)

People would / do "Roll" screens in that manner, because you bet, that does help the thicker application of paint to "level out" without the risks of "sliding" or Runs developing.

Still gotta worry about dust though.

That is what you see all spraying get done in the "vertical". And I don't remember reading of anyone who hung their Screen in place, sprayed, and then took it down to mount Trim. In all cases, the trim is applied so that it either "butts up" against the outside edges of the Screen substrate (...because it was glued onto the Wall...) , or overlaps the edges because the Substrate was cut to 2" over size around the edges and hung on the wall via screws band the overlaying Trim then covers said screw heads..

If you paint as directed, there will be NO runs.

I will make you up a Diagram showing the "Screwed to the wall process.

If when you painted cars you were using a Gravity Fed Gun, then you know there was a limit to how far the Gun could be tilted, especially has the paint level became lower.

The inexpensive HVLPs are all Siphon Guns, and many pro HVLP Guns are as well. But...they (...almost all Pro Rigs...) use a separate paint Well that is not attached to the Gun itself but via a Feeder Hose. (...except small Detail Guns...) With a Wagner or Graco, since the attached Paint cup will tilt with the Gun, if it tilts to the point the Siphon Tube comes out of the paint, the paint will sputter / stop flowing.

That is always bad.....

As for attaching the Wrapped Trim to a Frame, using 1-1/4" Finish nails set in below the velvet using a Nail-Set is the best method. The nails become invisible, and if the Trim must be removed, they pull out with very little effort.

"hung on the wall via screws band the overlaying Trim then covers said screw heads"
......................................."and"..................................................................

Sorry....typo.

Hey! I just spent an hour making the darn thing, and another hour getting this on my other PC via networked Shared Docs, so I'm gonna post it !

JKA. I'm sure it will help a bit, leastwise for any other lurkers.