Table of Contents
The painted blue porch ceiling started in the American South around 200 years ago. 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.
Does painting porch ceiling blue keep bugs away?
Unfortunately, there is no scientific evidence that blue ceilings do in fact keep bugs away. However, there are some personal testimonies that state they saw fewer spiders and wasps after painting their porch ceiling blue.
What is the significance of a blue ceiling?
According to the Gullah/Geechee, a blue porch ceiling brought good luck to the home and helped to ward away evil spirits as these lost souls are unable to cross water. A haint blue porch ceiling resembles water and prevents haints from harming the people in the house.
Why do people paint porch ceilings blue in the South?
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.
Does light blue ceilings keep bugs away?
Well, it’s called “haint blue” and may repel more than just insects, thus the name. The South Carolina Low Country, blue paint has been used on porch ceilings ands ome say this color blue extends daylight at dusk and helps keep bees, wasps and other insects away.
Does painting porch ceiling blue work?
It was used as an insect repellent. There was a more down-to-earth rationale for blue porch ceilings, too—the notion that it could keep wasps and other pests from building nests there. The blue paint actually did thwart insects, but not by outsmarting them.
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. The tradition originated with the Gullah in Georgia and South Carolina.
Why are porch ceilings painted blue in Key West?
Blue painted porch ceilings are a common and aesthetically beautiful site to see in Key West. 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.
Can you paint a 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.
What should I put on my porch ceiling?
One way to achieve a traditional style, and still protect the ceiling of your porch or awning from moisture is to install waterproof beadboard paneling from Allura. Moisture resistant beadboard made of fiber cement has the look and texture of real wood beadboard, but the durability of fiber cement.
What color do Southerners paint their 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 does a blue porch light mean?
Many parents will also put blue lights on their porches to show support for those who struggle with autism Spectrum Disorder. The color blue was chosen for this awareness month because of the connection between autism and the sky.
What is the meaning of haint blue paint?
The shade and the term “haint blue” have become mythic and ubiquitous. The Gullah Geechee legend says that evil spirits do not like water and painting spaces to look like water will keep them away. The color is said to have been originally based on the indigo grown in the region in the eighteenth century.
Do spiders avoid sky blue?
The color that spiders tend to hate is light blue. People don’t just paint their porches light blue for the aesthetic. Painting your porch ceiling in this shade is a pretty effective way of keeping spiders away. The color is also known to repel wasps.
Do blue ceilings keep wasps away?
Sky blue paint might actually fool insects as well. Many people theorize that porches painted a soft blue will trick wasps and other insects into thinking it’s the sky, taking their nests elsewhere.
Does blue paint repel mosquitoes?
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.
Can you paint vinyl porch ceiling?
Both said, “Yes, you can paint vinyl.” And then they judged me. Whatever. There is a special type of paint for vinyl so just tell the person at the counter what you intend to paint. So I hoarded picked up a bunch few paint samples and took the logical next step of taping them to the ceiling on the porch.
What is a haint ghost?
So what is a “haint?” It’s just another word for a ghost or spirit, a derivative of “haunt.” For centuries, Southerners have passed down ways to keep spirits from haunting your home.
