I would recommend sanding it down first and then applying two coats of primer. There's a primer called stix that will bond to almost anything. We have used it before with out sanding and have had good results. http://www.insl-x.com/product-detail/inslx-products/stix-waterborne-bonding-primer

Good luck:)

Sounds like a primer that would do the job but sounds pretty toxic too. With kids in the house I like to stick to low voc / no voc paints. Guess I'll be sanding!!!:) thank you for your advice

Sure, BM Fresh Start latex primer is low VOC. It is a good primer.

Kilz 2 Latez primer is good. No odor.

Hi Kelty
I heard of that paint. Have you worked with it a lot? I never thought of using it on a ceiling. I am considering refinishing a piece of wood furniture I have using AS chalk paint.

Yes I've been using it for the past 5 months and am quite pleased. I've seen floors painted with the chalk paint in Halifax but myself I've done furniture and smaller pieces. I painted over a glossy dresser and then finished with the wax, it is in my sons room with lots of wear and the finish is holding strong! :)

I love chalk paint, too. I've been using it a lot--- painting everything in sight, really---because I love the ease of use and because it's fun to mix the colors and all.

AS Chalk Paint is pricey, but it goes a long way and you likely won't need to sand or use primer. My experience has been that the whitish colors, including lovely Paris Gray, will need more coats than the more heavily pigmented shades.

Do keep in mind that chalk paint has no sheen, which you probably don't want on your ceiling anyway.

And since I can't shut up about chalk paint, here's more.

Googling chalk-painted surfaces is going to yield a bunch of pix of shabby-chic looking furniture. This is because chalk paint is truly the go-to stuff to get that finish.

But if you prefer a smooth, totally finished, non-shabby surface, you can get that with chalk paint as well by doing at least two coats. You won't see as many on-line pictures of that outcome.

My first chalk-paint project was a cruddy old dining table. I used Napoleonic Blue---three coats (one quart)---and finished it with polycrylic. It turned out okay, but since learning to apply a wax finish, I would never go back to poly unless I were painting an outdoor piece.

Thank you for all your advice
Decided to go with stix as we really want to keep the ceiling and wall colour the same and can't do that with annie Sloan. I'm using dove white on the walls.
Will just have to open windows and let it air out
Thank you for your recommendations!

Stix worked so well!!! Thanks

Great, I am glad to hear it worked well. It is a great primer. :)