subject: Interior Painting best practices guide booklet [print this page] Interior Painting best practices guide booklet
Interior painting can be a mess, but nothing brightens a room like a fresh coat of paint. The chore is relatively easy with a little advance planning. Begin by gathering everything you will use at the center of the room that you will be working in. Put in a pile paint cans, paint trays, paint remover, painter's tape, rollers, caulk, spackle, putty knife, rollers, brushes, screwdrivers, claw hammer, drop cloths, plastic bags, plastic wrap, razor blade and hand soap.
Have a strategy to get all furnishings out of the room. Pull whatever can not be removed into the center of the room and cover it with drop cloths. Tape the drop cloths to the bottom of the furniture with painter's tape and cover loosely with a second drop cloth. Place additional drop cloths to completely cover the floor. Tape them down along the borders of the wall.
Switch to clothes you do not mind to get dirty and wear a cap or something to cover your hair. Slip on shoes can help prevent tracking paint through the house. Otherwise wear old tennis shoes and remove them whenever exiting the room. Leave an extra pair of shoes at the threshold to change into.
Patch all the cracks and holes in the walls. Put tape around all the windows, doors, and electrical outlets. Cover the wall and ceiling light fixtures held in place with tape. Remove or cover with tape any cabinet knobs that are exposed.
If you are covering a dark wall with a lighter color or if the surface is glossy, a coat of primer will first need to be applied. With a flat finish on light surfaces, it is possible to just spot prime areas that were patched.
Start with the ceiling and cover squares about six feet to a side. Use W shaped strokes of a roller going right to left and then back over again right to left so the whole area is covered. After completing a couple of squares, go over both of them again with diagonal strokes to spread the paint properly. Repeat this process with two more squares until the entire ceiling is covered. The last inch or so around the perimeter will have to be done with a brush.
The walls are covered in the same manner. The intersections of wall and ceiling are done with a brush. If the walls and ceilings are of different colors, brush in the ceiling first before starting on the walls at all. After the paint has thoroughly dried, tape the ceiling border then start on the walls.
Baseboards and any molding are the final step in interior painting and should be done with a brush. After the paint has thoroughly dried, check to see if a second coat is needed. Directions are usually clearly marked on the paint cans. Check to see if any spots need some touch up. Use a rag dampened with paint remover to rub out any unwanted drips. On glass, a razor blade can be used to scrape paint away.
