Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Painting a Room is Harder than You Think
I'm a new homeowner and I'm going to try and save a few dollars by painting the interior of my home myself. I've seen it done by my parents and on television, but I've never painted a room on my own. My folks are in Michigan, so that leaves me to fend for myself. I'm sure there's a right way and wrong way to do this. What do you think?
What You Need. All of these items can be obtained from a local hardware store or paint center. To complete this project, you'll need: a broad, flat paint brush; a small, angled paint brush; some large, thick drop cloths; a bucket; a couple of rolls of painter's tape; a roller brush with an extension pole; a roller tray; and, of course, paint.
Where to Start. The first step is to remove all of the furniture from the room. Or, if that's not practical, you can pull it all to the center and cover it with a drop cloth. Then cover all of your floors with drop cloths. Remove the switch and electrical plates from the walls. Using the painter's tape, cover all trims, electrical outlets, door knobs and jams, and window frames to keep them paint free.
So What's Next? If you're walls have an existing coat of paint and the color is heavier than off-white, you should definitely consider painting over the old coat with a primer. The primer mutes the old color and prepares the wall to better handle the application of the new coat.
Why a W? You should start painting around the edges first. Using your small, angled brush, begin painting a two-inch strip around the ceiling, down the walls, and along the baseboards. Then, using your roller, begin painting a large W on the wall, and follow it on out. Up to the left, down to the right, up to the right, and down to the left, and so on until you have covered the entire wall.
What You Need. All of these items can be obtained from a local hardware store or paint center. To complete this project, you'll need: a broad, flat paint brush; a small, angled paint brush; some large, thick drop cloths; a bucket; a couple of rolls of painter's tape; a roller brush with an extension pole; a roller tray; and, of course, paint.
Where to Start. The first step is to remove all of the furniture from the room. Or, if that's not practical, you can pull it all to the center and cover it with a drop cloth. Then cover all of your floors with drop cloths. Remove the switch and electrical plates from the walls. Using the painter's tape, cover all trims, electrical outlets, door knobs and jams, and window frames to keep them paint free.
So What's Next? If you're walls have an existing coat of paint and the color is heavier than off-white, you should definitely consider painting over the old coat with a primer. The primer mutes the old color and prepares the wall to better handle the application of the new coat.
Why a W? You should start painting around the edges first. Using your small, angled brush, begin painting a two-inch strip around the ceiling, down the walls, and along the baseboards. Then, using your roller, begin painting a large W on the wall, and follow it on out. Up to the left, down to the right, up to the right, and down to the left, and so on until you have covered the entire wall.
