Painting - needed more than one coat on ceiling!

I had ceiling border on my ceiling (I didn't do it!) and they were dingy, I needed to paint them. I removed the border, did some patches near the cabinates (the border was covering up flaws) and sealed the whole shabang with zinsser gaurdz. I then primed with zinsser cover stain. I figured with all that only one coat of benjamine moore ceiling paint would be needed. It seemed to look OK after it dryed but now I can see some streaks. It was hard to paint with a roller with 3/8 inch nap, the ceilings are only slightly textured but I guess that's still too much. I thought I managed to cover everything though but they don't look bright anymore.

So what gives. I don't know if it's an illusion because I've painted the walls so the ceilings that looked bright now look less than spanking white or maybe the coverage wasn't as good as I thought because of the roller I used. I noticed when I did the hall I couldn't tell how well I was painting unless I used a spotlight on the floor. It really seems to have changed the last few days which bothers me because I asphixiated myself using the smelly cover stain when maybe I would have done just as well to use latex based kilz or something.

I don't have wallpaper border in the other rooms I am going to do, would I be better off to use kilz in those ones? I did a utility room that had bad water stains with kilz a few years ago and it still looks great even though I didn't topcoat with a ceiling paint!

I'm bummed because it's like I have this aching neck for nothing.:wall:

Primer isn't always necesarry when repainting. Repairs should be primed along with stains or problem surfaces. You would be better off with a heavier nap roller. I use 1/2" on slick ceilings and a larger nap depending on texture. It is a lot easier to keep a wet edge with a full roller. Let the roller to the lions share of the work - trying to 'press' every drop out of the cover will lead to a poor job. Another coat of paint should fix the ceiling.

BTW even the pros get sore necks when painting alot of ceilings.

The top reasons for roller marks are:

Cheap paint
Cheap roller sleeves/too short a nap
Improper technique

Any one of which could give you marks
...and ceilings are tougher than walls

The Ben Moore should be fine, so I'd look at the sleeves and technique

I'd recommend at least a 1/2 nap on a top quality sleeve
At least the best poly sleeve you can get, and a 50/50 wool/poly is even better

Be sure not to try and squeeze out every drop from the sleeve, it should be more like laying down the paint rather than squeezing it out

BTW even the pros get sore necks when painting alot of ceilings.
That's for sure
Ouch