What color should your porch ceiling be?

Historically, light blue is the go-to porch ceiling color—and for good reason. It mimics the natural sky and makes a covered porch feel open and inviting.

What is the traditional color of a porch ceiling?

Porch ceilings in the American South (and parts of the Northeast) are almost always painted blue — whether the rest of the home's exterior is white, yellow, pink or any other color of the rainbow.

What color do Southerners paint their porch ceilings?

Across the South, the tradition of painting ceilings blue is passed down from generation to generation. There are many stories and legends as to why, and it's not just about keeping bugs at bay. In the Deep South, a darker blue sometimes called “haint blue” is believed by some to keep away evil spirits.

What color blue Do Southerners paint their porch ceilings?

The shade of blue used on many southern ceilings is often called “haint blue”. This light blue-green color is especially popular in southern coastal cities like Charleston, SC or Savannah, GA because of the historically haunted nature of these cities.

Which color is best for porch?

BEST HAINT BLUE PAINT COLORS FOR YOUR PORCH CEILING

What kind of paint do you use on a porch ceiling?

When seeking out paint to cover your porch ceiling, you need to consider its durability, finish, and color. Most experts swear by using an exterior paint that is acrylic latex and comes in a flat or eggshell finish.

What does a blue ceiling on a porch mean?

Gullah folklore explains that ghosts, also referred to as “haints,” were not able to cross water. In order to repel evil spirits from plantations, porch ceilings were painted a soft blue. The color was meant to mimic water in an effort to keep any haints or spirits at bay.

What color blue keeps bugs away?

Lore claims the insects and birds see the blue as the sky and don't come beneath it. According to a history of blue paint on Sherwin-Williams.com, today's blue paint is probably not a true deterrent for insects and birds but it once was – back when blue paint was made with lye.

What color is haint blue?

Haint blue is a collection of pale shades of blue-green that are traditionally used to paint porch ceilings in the southern United States.

Do blue porch ceilings keep bugs away?

The theory was that insects would mistake the blue ceiling for the sky and set up housekeeping elsewhere. The blue paint actually did thwart insects, but not by outsmarting them.

What should I put on my porch ceiling?

What color keeps evil spirits away?

Since the ancient times, red color is believed to be a lucky color to ward off evil spirits.

What color is haint blue in Sherwin Williams?

Sherwin-Williams Waterscape (SW 6470) is a dynamic, perfectly soft-but-bright blue infused with hints of green. Haint blue in general can be tricky because it will depend on several factors, like the natural light on your porch, the other colors present, and the amount of greenery surrounding your house.

Why are porch ceilings painted blue in Key West?

As time went by another legend came to be as home owners continued to paint their Key West ceilings blue. The idea was (and for some still is) that blue porch ceilings act as a natural bug repellent because the porch looks like the sky and fools the bugs who obviously won't build their nests in the sky.

Why is it called haint blue?

The Gullah people (also known as the Geechee or Gullah Geechee) in Georgia, a subsection of enslaved people who lived on island and costal plantations, were the first to use this color blue as a protection against evil spirits, calling it “haint blue”.

What colors do spiders hate?

While the color green attracts spiders, it keeps bugs away. Other bugs tend to gravitate toward bright colors, like yellow, white, or orange. So while green attracts spiders, it repels their food sources. The color that spiders tend to hate is light blue.

What colors do mosquitoes hate?

They also found that mosquitos ignored green, purple, blue and white. When a researcher inserted their hand into the chamber wearing a green glove, mosquitos ignored it, even when it was sprayed with CO2. Unfortunately, avoiding mosquitoes isn't as easy as choosing the right color of clothes.

What color do bugs hate the most?

Bugs are naturally attracted to bright colors like white, yellow or orange. Colors like green and blue won't register as vividly when seen in the UV spectrum, deterring bugs away from these colored objects.

What color keeps birds away?

Blue ceilings are also said to deter birds from nesting there and insects from buzzing around.

Should I paint my ceiling blue?

Your ceiling might not draw quite the same crowd, but painting it can have a big impact on the overall decor. And while white is certainly the safest choice, flip through any design magazine and you'll quickly note that blue is a decorator favorite.

Should I paint ceiling black?

A bold coat of black paint on your ceiling can help you design around tall, soaring ceilings to make the space feel warm and cozy. A black ceiling can also make existing architectural elements pop or unsightly basement fixtures blend into the background.

How do you paint a deck ceiling?

Always start by taping off the ceiling to get a crisp line, and then apply a coat of primer: this prevents the wood from soaking up the paint and allows you to get the truest color. Then, apply two or three coats of paint with a roller, using a brush to get into small spaces.

Can you paint vinyl porch ceiling?

Did you know you can paint vinyl porch ceilings too? You can! This one was painted over three years ago and still looks amazing!

Can you use interior ceiling paint outside?

Wondering can you use interior paint outside? Although the short answer is yes, it's not recommended. Interior paint isn't designed to withstand rain, snow, wind, UV, mildew, or temperature extremes. It has less pigment and binding resins than outdoor paints, and the finish is too porous .