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You can get professional results when painting your own
interior walls. Read on for step by step instructions.
Remove all the hardware in the room. Take down all
decorations and then scan the walls for any nails or pins,
remove these. Take off the electrical outlet covers; you
should turn off the circuit breakers before you do this. I
soak the covers in a cleaning solution while I am painting
to get two jobs done at once.
Wash the walls to remove any dirt and dust. Paint will not
stick very well to dust so it is important to have them
cleaned. Also vacuum the carpet.
Use painters tape to tape around anything that should not
be painted. The tape with sheets of plastic attached is
the best because they will completely cover the areas you
don’t want to be painted. Put a drop clothe down over the
entire carpet especially if you are painting the ceiling.
Fill in any holes in the wall with spackle. Put some
spackle on a spackle knife and spread over the hole
several times. It will dry to a white chalky color. Sand
it so that none of the spackle is sticking out from the
wall, but is only filling the hole. You may want to dab on
primer using feathery strokes all around the hole.
Caulk any areas that need to be caulked. Keep your finger
on the release button so that when you let go the flow
will stop. Fill in any area that needs to be caulked and
then take a small damp sponge and run it over the area to
give it a clean look. You should wait at least twelve
hours before you paint over any caulking to allow proper
drying time.
It is a good idea to pour your paint into another
container. When using a brush you will want to fill a
paint pail only about an inch deep, so that it won’t
spill. When using the rollers only fill the tray about a
third full.
Use a brush to paint next to the floor boards, edges,
ceiling and corners. Use a small chiseled brush. With a
slow steady hand you should be able to paint these areas
without getting paint on your floor boards or ceiling,
though it may take some practice.
Now use the roller to get the wall. Don’t put too much
paint on it or you will end up with areas of heavy paint
deposits. Begin by making an "M" on the wall. Then run
back over the same area several times. One roller full of
paint should cover about four square feet of space. If you
are changing the color of the paint you should give the
room two coats for the most professional look. You will
also want to do the same thing with the ceiling.
Now paint the floor boards and any trim. You may want to
use an edger, which looks something like a big long
spackle knife, to protect your newly painted wall. |
