Interior Painting Tips

Brush up

Whether it's time to paint your new home, or re-paint your current home, there are a few tips and techniques that will make the job much easier. If you're getting ready to sell your home, a fresh coat of neutral colors will let potential buyers get a nice mental image of how their furniture will look in the house. Following are a few helpful painting tips and techniques to ensure a beautifully-painted interior in no time.

The primer coat

Unless your current color is flat, it's important to apply a primer coat to make the new paint adhere better. On flat-painted walls that need only small repairs, you might simply want to spot prime.

For walls with big areas of patching plaster, it's a good idea to use a sealer or primer/sealer combo. Priming doesn't require as much attention as painting, but it's done the same way as painting-with brushes and rollers.

Ceiling and wall painting

You'll always want to start with the ceiling if you're painting an entire room. First, cover the perimeter and unpainted areas around the fixtures. Painter's tape is excellent for covering. It's generally a trademark blue color and sold at any hardware store.

Start with the ceiling (moving widthwise), in sections by about six feet square. Employ a series of overlapping "W" strokes, moving from right to left, then back from left to right.

If you're using a finish other than flat, be sure to go over the whole ceiling once again with one-directional, overlapping, and non-diagonal strokes. This will ensure the paint is blended correctly. Then repeat the exact same steps with the walls, painting up to an inch or so next to edges and trimmings. The last non-diagonal strokes should be from top to bottom.

Using a paintbrush

Unless you have a very steady and skilled hand, or you have an edging tool, be sure to mask the perimeter of the ceiling with painting tape. Then paint the upper perimeter of the walls, and all the areas that you weren't able to cover with a roller.

Final tips

If the ceiling or walls require a second coat, only start painting after the first coat dries. Always check the paint's label for specific recoating and drying instructions. Generally, you will always get a better second coat if the first coat is allowed to fully dry.

To paint trim, baseboards, windows, and doors, use painting tape or a paint edger to protect your freshly painted walls. You can wedge doors open with a rolled-up newspaper, but always place a drop cloth underneath to protect tile or carpet.

A roller is the quickest way to paint a flat door. For doors with panels, you will most likely have to use a large brush. For double-hung windows, first pull the top sash down and paint the bottom area, then push it back up and paint the top area. Next, paint the bottom sash, and then the jambs and frame.

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