home interior painting tips
taking time to performa thorough surface prep and painting in anorderly, systematic way are the keys to gettingprofessional-looking results when doing any paint project. skimping on the prep work isprobably the biggest mistake people make when painting. take the time and do it right. it really does affect the end result. first, carefully inspect wallsfor cracks, holes, dents,
or other surface imperfectionsbefore priming or painting. use a lightweight spacklingcompound and putty knife to fill and repair anyholes or imperfections. then remove any excessspackling with the putty knife and allow the area to dry completely. once dry, use a small piece of veryfine, 220-grit sandpaper or a sanding sponge to smooth the repairedareas flush with the surface. wipe the walls clean witha damp towel or sponge. and allow them to drybefore priming or painting.
you should also make sure thewalls are clean and free from dust. you'd be surprised how much dustactually builds up on walls over time. out-of-the-way corners and areasbehind furniture can also have lots of cobwebs. use something like a floor duster towipe the walls clean to ensure paint applies evenly. painter's tape is usedto help you achieve clean, professional-looking results. its primary purpose is to protectareas you don't intend to paint.
it's perfect for door and windowtrim molding, and baseboards. it helps you create sharp, cleanlines, paint stripes or patterns, and create two-tone wall effects. there are different adhesionlevels for painter's tape. all are meant to be easily removed. but some stick a littlemore firmly than others. while some are perfectfor textured surfaces, others are intended formore delicate areas, like a freshly painted wall,finished hardwood, or wallpaper.
be sure and check which adhesion levelis right for the job you're doing. if your ceiling is non-textured,or if you have crown molding, you'll want to mask that off whereit meets the edge of the wall. apply your tape in short, overlappingstrips, pressing down firmly along the edge. if you don't take the time toapply painter's tape properly, you can experience bleed-through. paint can seep under the tape barrierand get on the protected surface. make sure your tape is flatand evenly pressed down.
you can use your fingersor a putty knife. paint will seep through at anypoint where the tape is not in full contact with the surface. before doing any primingor painting, you'll want to protect yourfloors with a drop cloth. there are three basic kinds-- canvas, plastic, and paper. canvas drop cloths areextremely durable and absorbent. so they can be used over and over again.
plastic is less expensive anddurable, but isn't absorbent, so spills won't dry as quickly andcan be tracked through the room and stepped on. paper is the most economical,but can tear easily on floors. but they're perfect for covering otherthings, like cabinets and furniture. if you're working in anaverage- or small-sized room, you really should removeall the furniture. any time you think you'resaving by not doing this will be wastedthroughout your project,
because you will constantlybe adjusting and relocating things to give yourself room. the final step of your paint prepis cutting in the room with primer. cutting in is basicallyoutlining the room, and involves using a paintbrushto create two- to three-inch bands around the edges of the walls, wherethey meet ceilings, baseboards, other walls, door andwindow frames, and hinges. those two- to three-inchareas around the room allow you to roll therest of the walk quickly,
without having to try and rollpaint in those confined spaces. it's impossible to use a rollerthat close to those areas you're trying not to paintwithout making mistakes. when cutting in, many people chooseto do the entire room at one time. this is a good option if youwant to finish in a hurry. however, your border areas willprobably dry before you overlap them when painting the wall. you may see a slight differencein sheen between the two coats, because they won't be able to blend.
if that's a concern, you shouldcut in and paint one wall at a time before moving on to others. you'll achieve a smoother,more seamless look, because you'll be able to blendthe wet paint you've brushed on with the wet paint being rolled on. priming your walls before painting is animportant part of any painting project. primers are specially designed toadhere to different types of surfaces and receive your top coat of paint. you also have the option ofusing a paint and primer in one.
this will eliminate the needfor separate coats of each and will save you time and money. when painting new drywall,priming helps seal the wall and can help prevent mold. they also help when you'repainting walls that are stained or when you're making adramatic color change. primers can also be tintedat our store to closely match the color of your paint. since primer is less expensivethan paint, using a tinted primer
can help you cut down on the number ofpaint codes needed and save you money. if you've made wall repairs, spackle,and especially drywall compound, will draw out themoisture from the paint, giving the area a dull look that isdifferent from the rest of the wall. priming will prevent thisproblem, since you'll be painting directly over theprimer and not the repair material. when applying your primer,start by painting in three-foot by three-foot sections. roll in one section ata time, moving from top
to bottom and from one sideof the wall to the other. with a fully loaded roller, work topto bottom, rolling back and forth across the wall in aseries of v- or w-shaped strokes until the section is covered. reload your roller andpaint the next section, covering only as much as you canfinish while the primer is still wet. always overlap areas of wet primer. this is a painting technique thepros call working to a wet edge. the technique helps prevent streaking.
after the primer is completely dry,lightly sand away bumps, ridges, and other surface imperfections,using very fine grit sandpaper folded into quarters. when the grit of one sectionbecomes covered with paint dust, switch to an unusedsection and continue. wipe the wall clean with a damptowel or sponge and allow it to dry. before starting anypaint job, it's always a good idea to remix your paint usinga mixing stick or a paint-mixing tool. you should do this anytime you leave your paint
sitting for an extended period of time. the first step in painting your wallsis to use a good-quality paint brush and cut in the room again,this time with your paint. if you left your painter'stape on after priming, you can just paint over it again. if you removed yourpainter's tape, you'll need to reapply it before starting. a foolproof way of achievingclean and even paint edges is to avoid loading the brushdown with too much paint.
the excess has to gosomewhere, and will probably end up where it doesn't belong. begin painting by brushing ontothe wall first, and not the tape. brush back and forth until mostof the paint has been applied. then, when there's just a bitof paint left on the brush, paint the area next to the tape andoverlap your strokes onto the tape. that way, there will only beenough paint left on the brush to cover the remainingunpainted wall surface. and there won't be enoughto seep under the tape.
to apply your top coat of paint,follow the exact same process and techniques usedwhen priming your walls. roll in small, manageable,three-foot by three-foot areas, from the ceiling to the floor and fromone side of the wall to the other. blend your sections as you go. with a fully loadedroller work top to bottom, rolling back and forth across thewall in a series of v- or w-shaped you want your roller fully coveredwith paint, but not to the point where it's dripping.
before reloading your roller and movingto the next section, roll over the area you've just painted in a smooth,continuous stroke, from top to bottom and back and forth, withoutpicking up the roller. these smoothing strokeseven the coat and help to cover up lines andpaint roller tracks. as you overlap areas alreadypainted, lightly lift the roller off the wall to avoid leaving endmarks and to help blend different areas into one seamless surface. avoid the common mistake of paintingstraight up and down in rows from top
to bottom. when you do this it's harderto blend your paint evenly. and you can end up with aslight striped appearance, which you won't be happy with. final step is to removeyour painter's tape. now, you have two options. you can do this just beforethe paint dries completely, if you're concerned about thetape getting stuck in the paint. or you can wait until the paint is dry.
if left on too long, sometimessmall pieces of the tape can tear and get leftbehind when being removed. if you run into this, use a utilityknife to slice through the dried paint while pulling up the tapeat a 45-degree angle. now, tightly seal remainingpaint in cans, thoroughly and completely cleanpaint brushes and rollers, and dispose of used painter's tape. noticeable color variationsin separate gallons of paint are rare now that mixturesare created by computers.
but to be safe, once you'veused half a gallon of paint, refill that can with paintfrom a different can and remix. if you're doing a large job,you can mix several gallons into one five-gallon bucket. that way you'll beguaranteed color uniformity. you also have options for howyou reload your paint roller. you can use a traditionaland reliable paint tray. or, to avoid the possibilityof stepping in your paint or having a pet wanderthrough and causing a mess,
you can roll from abucket using a paint grid. for optimum results in color qualityand finish, a second coat may be needed. just be sure and allow thefirst coats to dry completely, usually between two and four hours.