Before you start painting

The fastest and least expensive way to revitalize a room is to paint it using these interior painting tips as a guide. Discover how quickly and easily you can transform your home. Even if you have never lifted a paintbrush in your life, follow these simple steps and wait for the magic.

Tips for Selecting Colors

1. Light colors make rooms seem larger; dark colors make them appear smaller and cozier.

2. Generally, the ceiling should have the lightest color, the walls darker, and the floors darkest. This rule can be broken to create special effects. For example, a very dark ceiling will lower it and create a "cave" atmosphere, which may appeal to you.

3. Use the color cards provided by paint stores to mix and match and when you have narrowed down your choices to a favorite few, purchase small jars of the colors and test them out on pieces of drywall. If you are still uncertain, buy enough paint to cover one wall and if it turns out to be a disaster, no worries. Paint over it with a better choice.

Other Interior Painting Tips for Paint Selection

1. After choosing your colors, select the type of interior paint needed. A novice painter loves latex (water-based) paint because spills can be wiped up with a damp cloth and brushes washed in water. Oil-based paint is harder wearing and washes better than latex but requires turpentine to clean brushes and spills, and is, therefore, usually the choice of only experienced painters. Life is short; go for the latex.

2. Flat or eggshell finishes are great for most rooms, with gloss or semi-gloss reserved for trim. Semi-gloss is sometimes used for kitchens and bathrooms and even children’s rooms because it washes so well, but terms change with different brands and you should consult your paint dealer and take his/her advice.

3. Buy quality paint – it applies more easily, covers better, and stands up to washing better than cheaper brands. Paint dealers can easily figure out how much paint you need if you provide the dimensions of the room, the number of doors, windows, and closets, and describe the room’s current color.

Other Necessary Purchases

1. Invest in quality paintbrushes – one small and one large – a good roller, and a paint tray with a liner.

2. Masking tape is needed for defining and covering the edges of areas that you don’t want painted.

3. Drop sheets, either cloth (expensive) or plastic (cheaper), are needed to cover anything you don’t want splattered with paint.

Interior Painting Tips for Wall and Ceiling Preparation

1. Grab a pry-bar and a hammer to pry off the baseboards and any old trim around windows and doors that need to be replaced. Measure what you remove and buy replacements. This is a good time to check out compound miter saws and cordless drills. Purchase, rent or borrow a miter saw so that you can cut the perfect mitered angles needed for your new baseboards, and the trim for the windows and doors. Also pre-drill your molding with your cordless drill to prevent splitting and it will make the installation easier.

2. Wash the walls and ceiling, and repair any cracks and holes with a putty knife and spackle or polyfill. After the fill has dried, sand lightly and vacuum up the dust.

3. Mask edges you don’t want painted, and cover furniture and floors with drop sheets.

4. Paint the room in this order: ceiling, walls, trim. For the ceiling’s first coat, use a brush to cut a strip along the edges of the ceiling about two inches wide. Then, start at a corner with the roller and cover three or four feet in a zig-zag pattern, rolling it out to cover part of the brush-painted strip. Fill in the area and overlap the paint while it is still wet. When the ceiling is covered, wait for the paint to dry and then apply a second coat.

5. Repeat these steps for the walls, using a brush to apply the first coat at the ceiling and around the doors, windows, etc., in two-inch strips before using the roller in a vertical, zig zag pattern.

6. When the walls are dry, you can paint the trim. This is when you find out how good a job you do with masking tape. If you are replacing baseboards or any other molding, now is the time to complete these jobs.

Follow our interior painting tips and be on your way to achieving beautiful, professional results. You’ll do yourself proud.