Organizing Before You Paint

Painting the interior of your home is a big job and you will need to get organized ahead of time. If you stay organized, there’s no need for the task to overtake you. It can actually be an enjoyable experience if you set yourself up for success.

Preparation

We can’t say enough how important it is to prepare your walls BEFORE you paint!
Failing to do this will cause frustration as you go along in the process, and will also cause you to backtrack to make corrections. This will waste time and cost you money. Do things in sensible order—if you plan on painting your ceiling, be sure to start with that…then comes the walls; and lastly, the trim work. Doing things in logical order will prevent do-overs and other problems from not being prepared. Since you will often be using latex on one surface and enamel on another, you should prevent splatters and spills to keep your paint job looking good and drying just right. Touch-ups are always possible, but why do it if you don’t have to!

Before You Start

Consider the walls before you start. Look over them for repairs that need to be made
before you start painting. You should patch any holes and make sure everything is
sanded down before you apply paint. You want a clean, smooth surface before any paint ever goes on the wall! Remember that a primer is always necessary if you are using darker colors. Don’t forget also, that caulking may be necessary in some areas. Doing things in proper order will make sure you are a happy painter in the end!

If you have holes that need to be patched, rest assured you can do this without calling in a handyman. It’s not hard and you might just surprise yourself with your DIY skills! All you need is a little joint compound to apply to the hole. If the hole is more than a few inches, buy a patch repair kit and place the mesh graft over the hole and spread the joint compound over the hole. You can be generous with the compound and get it in all the nooks and crannies. Let it dry for several hours till it’s hard, and then lightly sand it to a smooth finish. When you go to paint, you will get a beautiful smooth result. You can also put a line of fresh caulk around trim work, baseboards, etc. to ensure an extra beautiful

finish. Be sure your caulk matches your paint!

Painting

Begin by painting the ceiling. Use an angled brush to help you get a fine edge and use this brush for your borders on the walls, making your way around the entire room. Use a roller to fill in the large areas after you’ve finished the trim, keeping in mind that it might take more than one coat. With paints that have a higher shine, you can avoid brush marks by rolling out most of the room. As for choosing a roller, polyester rollers will allow more splatter, and the higher quality rollers like lamb wool will hold much more paint and distribute the paint more evenly. They are worth a little extra money since you can wash them out and use them again.

Choosing the Right Color

Generally, you should choose a lighter color for the trim than you would for the walls. Ceilings can vary, depending on the look you are going for. It’s popular nowadays to choose darker, richer colors for ceilings and it works beautifully in many cases. As you think about the flow from one room to the next, you may want to choose more neutral tones or varied tones in the same color family. Finally, ask the professionals for design help! They love to do it, so put their skill to use and get good advice when you need it.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *