Novice’s Guide to Professional Interior Painting

Painting starts with prep work. I learned this the hard way. It’s not fun to do a job twice. If you are going to paint a room, these are a few things that have to be done in order to insure a good paint job.

The first thing you need to find out is what kind of paint to use. If you don’t know what kind of paint is already on the walls and trim, you have to do a simple test. Using denatured alcohol, put some on a rag and wipe it onto the paint. If the paint softens it is latex or water based paint. If this is the case, then you can use latex or oil. If it doesn’t soften the paint, you will have to use oil based paint. Most interior walls are painted with latex paint. Some trim is painted with oil based paint. After you find out what kind of paint to use, you need to check the walls, base board, and trim for cracks. Using painter’s caulking, fill the cracks in the trim and around the baseboards, and smooth it out. The best trick I know to smooth out caulking, is to wet your finger and rub it smooth. This method keeps your finger clean and looks great.

Next you need to fix any holes or cracks in the walls. If there are hairline cracks or nail holes in the walls, you can use Spackle to fill them , and sand lightly. Additional coats of Spackle can be applied. If there are large holes in the walls, you will need to patch them. If the hole is less than 4 inches, You can purchase a patch at your home center made of metal and fiberglass tape. If the hole is larger than this, you need to cut the drywall or plaster back to the nearest studs, and use drywall to repair the hole. Go over this with joint compound, at least two coats, (I prefer three), sanding between coats. When you are satisfied with the results of patching and caulking, it’s time to get started with the painting.

You need to clear the room if possible. Next you need to cover everything in the room to keep the paint from dripping on it and ruining your floor or furniture. It is necessary to prime the walls and trim before applying the paint. If you are going back with the same color and kind of paint, you can spot prime the spots that have been repaired, but I recommend priming the entire room. Allow the primer to dry per manufacturers specs. Now you are ready to paint.

Paint the ceiling first, then the walls, then the trim. If you get paint on a nonporous surface, clean as soon as possible. Use denatured alcohol for latex paint, mineral spirits for oil based paint. If the paint dries it makes this job a lot harder. Clean up and move the furniture back into the room. Good luck and enjoy your professionally painted room.