There are few projects you can do to your home that offer so much improvement, at such a small cost, as painting. You can change the entire look and feel of a room in a short amount of time. Painting is a very affordable way to update any room with such a small expense.
The tools you will need for this project are; paint brushes, drop cloths, household cleaner, drywall compound or spackling, latex interior paint, screwdriver, putty knife, paint roller and a paint tray. If you do not already have some of these items they are readily available at most paint or hardware stores.
1. To begin with move all furniture away from the walls and cover all of your flooring with drop cloths. Next, remove all electrical switch plates and outlet covers. Replace the screws after removing the switch plates so they don’t get lost. Remove all pictures and any other items hanging from the walls.
2. Using a household cleaning solution, clean the walls thoroughly. Rinse off with water and allow to fully dry. If you have any stains, such as smoke or water stains, you must prime these areas using an oil based primer. If you don’t prime these areas first, the stain will bleed through your new paint.
3. Using your joint compound or spackling and your putty knife, repair all nail holes and any other holes or blemishes in the drywall.
4. Begin painting by trimming around all doors, windows, baseboards and the intersection with the ceiling and walls using your brush. Some people may wish to tape the edges of the trim using painters tape before they paint, but if you take your time and keep a rag handy to clean up any mistakes you should not have to do this.
5. Using your paint roller and paint tray, start painting the wall from the top corner and working your way down the wall with the paint. Paint in small sections, usually an area approximately 4′ x 4′ can be covered with each roller refill. Begin each new section beside the previous and then blend the paint edges together while still wet.
6. Continue to work quickly and don’t pause until you have completed one wall or have reached a break such as a door or the corner of the room.
7. Once the walls have completely dried, you can decide if you will need a second coat.
8. Clean your brush, tray and roller using warm soapy water.
Be sure to wait until the paint is dry before removing the drop cloths. The drop cloths can damage floors and furniture if they still have wet paint on them while you are removing them. It’s a good idea to allow the paint at least a full day to dry before hanging pictures back on the walls.
Take your time and remember the key to any good paint job is preparation.