Apt.1 2F Japanese Room: Ceiling Repair Vol.1

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u270fufe0f Originally published: 2021-08-07 / ud83dudd04 Rewritten: May 8, 2026

2026 DIY Dad’s Update: Painting the Japanese Room Ceiling

Painting is the most straightforward way to renovate a Japanese room ceiling. Simply coating an old saobuchi or mekashi ceiling white dramatically changes the room’s atmosphere.

Types of Japanese Room Ceilings

• Saobuchi (u7affu7e01u5929u4e95): Thin wooden battens in a grid, boards resting on top
• Mekashi (u76eeu900fu304bu3057u5929u4e95): Boards with deliberate gaps between them
• Juraku (u805au697du5929u4e95): Ceiling plastered with traditional juraku clay material

For saobuchi and mekashi ceilings, painting is by far the simplest renovation method. Wallpaper is possible, but the extra prep needed to handle board gaps and height differences adds significant effort.

Ceiling Painting Process

• Thorough masking of walls, floors, and doors
• Apply sealer (primer) to prevent over-absorption and lock in stains
• First topcoat with roller after drying
• Second topcoat after full drying
• Remove masking after drying

Choosing the Right Paint (Ceiling)

• Water-based paint (silicone or acrylic) u2014 low odor, ideal indoors
• White u2014 standard ceiling choice
• Matte finish u2014 most natural-looking overhead
• Mold-resistant formula u2014 recommended for humid rooms

Why Tackle the Smaller Room First

• Good practice on a smaller scale
• Earlier sense of accomplishment
• Unit available to rent sooner, generating rental income earlier

For Anyone Considering Apartment Investment and Renovation

Cost-effectiveness is everything in apartment renovation. DIY Dad keeps costs dramatically low by doing the work himself.

Marutoku Shop u2014 Renovation Materials & Lumber (Online) u00bb

Back to the Job Site u2014 Sealer (Primer) First Coat

Hi, DIY Dad here! Starting the ceiling repair u2014 and the approach is painting. First step: a sealer (primer) undercoat to block stain bleed-through. I used Miracle Sealer for the primer.

u2192 Miracle Sealer

For primer tools and materials, see DIY Dad’s Tool & Material Guide Vol.3 u2014 Wall Base Prep (3) Sand Plaster Walls.

Now to apply it. Normally you brush the narrow edges first, then roll the wide surfaces. This time, however, I wanted to try spray gun application using an air compressor u2014 so I left the edges for later and just did a rough roller pass on the large areas first.

u2192 Extension pole and roller

u2192 Miracle Sealer

Applying the sealer:

u2192 Sealer u2014 first coat

u2192 Sealer u2014 first coat

u2192 Sealer u2014 first coat

u2192 Sealer u2014 first coat

u2192 Sealer u2014 first coat

u2192 Sealer u2014 first coat

u2192 Sealer u2014 first coat

As you can see, one coat is thin and coverage is light. Since I’m counting on the sealer to trap any wood stain bleed-through, I’ll add a second coat next time. That’s all for today u2014 see you next time!

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