Room Painting 101
Room Painting 101
Painting a room is the least expensive way to make a dramatic impact. You can change the entire look and feel of a room with a couple of coats of paint. Before you just start slapping paint onto the walls, you should do a bit of planning.
First, determine the color you want. A lot of people don’t put enough time into choosing the best color. Once you’ve painted the room, you’ll realize how much work it is and how much you don’t want to do it again.
Don’t just go by the convenient little cardboard color samples at the home improvement store. Once you find a color you like, have someone mix up a quart, then actually test it out at the store. Let it dry, and make sure you’re happy with the color. Paints can dry in interesting ways that make them sometimes look completely different from the mixture in the container. If you’re not happy with it, keep looking until you find the color you really want.
Buy high quality, easy-to-remove painter’s tape. A lot of people use regular masking tape. It might be cheaper, but it can peel off what you’ve already painted. When it comes time to tape off painted surfaces, this tape is well worth the money.
Buy proper rollers and brushes. If you have a large area to paint, the extended rollers are a good investment. As long as you clean them, you can use them many times. Invest in decent brushes in multiple sizes. You don’t want to paint trim with a giant brush or buy the cheap brushes that will leave bristles on your freshly painted walls.
Paint the ceiling first! If you have a popcorn ceiling, you need to buy a special roller that will give you better cover on rough surfaces. It’s also a good idea to invest in a paint roller extension and a plastic sleeve that fits on the handle of the roller to protect you from drips. Most people keep the ceiling white or off-white. If you paint the ceiling a dark color, it can make the room seem smaller and very dark, even with sufficient lighting. Before you paint the ceiling, tape the edges of the walls. Yes, you’re about to paint them, but you don’t want gooey drips to dry and give your walls strange little bumps.
With painting, preparation is key. Don’t get too excited and skip tape and floor covering. You can buy special tape to put on the baseboards that already has plastic attached. You apply the tape then just roll out the plastic to make sure the floor is covered. Be sure to remove light switch and electrical covers. Don’t be lazy, or you’ll regret it later. Once everything is taped or removed, you can start painting.
You should always do the edges and brush areas first. The main parts where you can use rollers go much faster, so you won’t have to worry about areas drying before you finish your first coat. Follow the instructions on the paint can. Wait the amount of time suggested between coats, and open all the windows to give yourself proper ventilation. Be sure to clean all of your brushes and rollers thoroughly, and let them dry completely before you use them again.
If you want to paint the trim, make sure all coats of your wall paint have dried completely. Tape around the trim, and remove doorknobs and doorjambs. It’s a simple step, and it makes everything look a lot better. Save any leftover paint for future touch-ups, and leave the windows open until the paint is completely dry.
Copyright © 2006, Access 2000 Pty Ltd
Painting a room is the least expensive way to make a dramatic impact. You can change the entire look and feel of a room with a couple of coats of paint. Before you just start slapping paint onto the walls, you should do a bit of planning.
First, determine the color you want. A lot of people don’t put enough time into choosing the best color. Once you’ve painted the room, you’ll realize how much work it is and how much you don’t want to do it again.
Don’t just go by the convenient little cardboard color samples at the home improvement store. Once you find a color you like, have someone mix up a quart, then actually test it out at the store. Let it dry, and make sure you’re happy with the color. Paints can dry in interesting ways that make them sometimes look completely different from the mixture in the container. If you’re not happy with it, keep looking until you find the color you really want.
Buy high quality, easy-to-remove painter’s tape. A lot of people use regular masking tape. It might be cheaper, but it can peel off what you’ve already painted. When it comes time to tape off painted surfaces, this tape is well worth the money.
Buy proper rollers and brushes. If you have a large area to paint, the extended rollers are a good investment. As long as you clean them, you can use them many times. Invest in decent brushes in multiple sizes. You don’t want to paint trim with a giant brush or buy the cheap brushes that will leave bristles on your freshly painted walls.
Paint the ceiling first! If you have a popcorn ceiling, you need to buy a special roller that will give you better cover on rough surfaces. It’s also a good idea to invest in a paint roller extension and a plastic sleeve that fits on the handle of the roller to protect you from drips. Most people keep the ceiling white or off-white. If you paint the ceiling a dark color, it can make the room seem smaller and very dark, even with sufficient lighting. Before you paint the ceiling, tape the edges of the walls. Yes, you’re about to paint them, but you don’t want gooey drips to dry and give your walls strange little bumps.
With painting, preparation is key. Don’t get too excited and skip tape and floor covering. You can buy special tape to put on the baseboards that already has plastic attached. You apply the tape then just roll out the plastic to make sure the floor is covered. Be sure to remove light switch and electrical covers. Don’t be lazy, or you’ll regret it later. Once everything is taped or removed, you can start painting.
You should always do the edges and brush areas first. The main parts where you can use rollers go much faster, so you won’t have to worry about areas drying before you finish your first coat. Follow the instructions on the paint can. Wait the amount of time suggested between coats, and open all the windows to give yourself proper ventilation. Be sure to clean all of your brushes and rollers thoroughly, and let them dry completely before you use them again.
If you want to paint the trim, make sure all coats of your wall paint have dried completely. Tape around the trim, and remove doorknobs and doorjambs. It’s a simple step, and it makes everything look a lot better. Save any leftover paint for future touch-ups, and leave the windows open until the paint is completely dry.
Copyright © 2006, Access 2000 Pty Ltd
posted by Ian White, Housecarers | 12:25 AM
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