Steps in Painting a Room

Before you get your hands dirty, there are a couple of safety guidelines you need to observe that will not only make the job easier but safer. Choose a windless warm day to do your painting so as to get the paint dry better. Wet weather can spell a disaster when using water based paint which will absorb moisture from the air and tend to run ruining your hard work and materials. Open windows if possible to prevent the vapors of solvent based paints from overwhelming you. Some solvents have serious side effects so if using solvent based paints for most of the room, one could opt to get a respirator that has an activated carbon filter that would absorb the fumes. Have plenty of light and keep the area clear of clutter as much as possible to avoid trips and spills.

Select the paint color and type that you intend to use and bring the dimensions of the surfaces that have to be painted. This will give the paint store people enough information on how much paint you need if you do not want to compute for yourself. Get an extra liter or two to be sure.

If you are going to paint the ceiling, start with that, so you prevent ruining the walls if you do drip any paint. The longest part in painting is the preparation stage, where you cover all fixtures like doorknobs and electrical switches and outlets using the tape and newspaper if desired. Lighting fixtures should either be removed or covered to prevent having to clean them up later. If all preparations have been done, then you’re ready to get painting.

Step 1 – Visually check the surfaces for any chips and cracks that might have to be covered. Using the appropriate caulking compound and a caulking knife, apply the compound making sure just enough is applied and let dry referring to the required drying time on the package. Sand smooth and re-caulk if necessary. With corners, apply caulk with a caulking gun to allow you to work quickly.

Painting tip: If you are painting a previously glossy surface, sand down all the surfaces that will be painted for a glossy surface would prevent the new coats of paint to simply peel off even after the paint dries. Use # 120 sandpaper that is not too rough but enough to scratch surface allowing proper adhesion of the new coats of paint. Use the tacky cloth to remove all traces of dust before painting the surfaces. Also check the consistency of the paint, too thick it will dry up prematurely and make it difficult to apply. Too thin and it will drip a lot and require longer flash times or drying times. Apply the required amount of solvent to obtain a consistency that has the paint dropping into the can without maintaining a dent for a long time. If the paint drops and is quickly absorbed then you have the right consistency. Add solvent a little at a time, for too much can ruin your paint requiring the addition of virgin paint to obtain the proper texture.

Step 2 – Get your paint and place enough on your paint tray. With ceilings get your ladder and use a manageable brush say sized 1½“ to 2” brush to do the edging, paint the borders or sides first, so as when you paint with the roller you need not be too careful in reaching the edges. Work from one side to the other running the roller in overlapping motions. After the first coat go over the finished sections on a 90 degree angle so as to kill the line that results from the roller edges. This is done with a dry roller for the paint is still tacky and will still close in. let the paint dry and go over with another coat to ensure coverage. A gallon of paint usually covers an area of 25 square meters on a single coat but that is under ideal conditions.

Step 3 – With the walls, begin in a similar fashion as the ceiling, using a brush to paint the sides first then working from one side to the other. Work in a cris-cross fashion then work from top to bottom to avoid the lines from the roller edges. Work from the farthest wall situated opposite the door and work towards it. Let the paint dry and do another coat if necessary.

Painting tip: If you are going to use the same color or a darker color to cover a previously painted wall go ahead and paint but be sure to sand the walls a little to give the new coat a way of clinging to the walls. If you are going to use a lighter color or a totally different color that is lighter than the old one, better give the surface a coat or two of white base paint to kill of the old color. That way you save paint in terms of the number of coats that would be needed to cover totally the old color which will show up behind the first coat. Using white basecoat provides a base that is easier to cover up and needs only a few coats to fully cover.

Step 4 – Clean up all equipment and spills if you are not going to use them the next day. Dried paint can only be cleaned with powerful solvents that can accidentally ruin your work so wipe up spills and drips as they happen. If you will be using them again the next day, you can soak them in their respective solvents in a can or with oil based paints, wrap it in a piece of newspaper and soak the lot in thinner to prevent the brush from loosing it’s shape while preventing the paint from drying.

After the paint has dried sufficiently, remove all masked areas and fixtures using a craft knife to go around switches and doorknobs to prevent paint from tearing away from the walls. It is also good to leave a liter or two of the same color paint aside in a properly sealed container to allow for re-touching of scratches and other problems you might get in the future. Just be sure to mix and thin properly so as to get the same color for paint that is stored for quite sometime suffers from settling that can lead to changes in the color. Latex or water based paints go sour if mixed with water so discard any left over paint or use in some other area.

Follow the right curing times to allow them to set properly so they would last longer. For houses with kids of kid’s rooms, there are easy clean-up paints that are low-odor and allow easy cleanup with Teflon included in the paint itself. Solvents can be harmful to your health so allow the paint to dry fully before using it. To speed up the dissipation of the odors, with water-based paints, a dish-full of vinegar will kill of the ammonia smell faster. With solvent based paints, use a little charcoal placed all around the room to absorb the smell faster.

Another reminder, dispose of all unwanted paint and used solvents in recycling centers for some can pollute so be earth friendly.