| HOME IMPROVEMENT
How to paint a room, step by step
Painting can have great impact on the appearance of a room for little cost. It is also a project that most people are capable of if they do their homework first.
Preparation is the key to a beautiful, long-lasting paint job. Paint is designed to be applied to a clean, smooth surface. In most cases, getting to this ideal state requires only simple preparation.
First, remove all the furniture, lamps and knickknacks from the room. Push whatever is left to the middle of the room and cover it with drop cloths.
Also remove anything attached to the walls, including pictures, window treatments and switch or outlet plates (put the screws and plates together in plastic bags). Take off all the hardware from windows and doors.
Cover radiators with newspaper. Loosen ceiling light fixtures and cover them with plastic trash bags.
Cover every inch of the floor with canvas or heavy plastic drop cloths.
After you’ve bought the paint and prepped the room, it’s time to proceed. Stir the paint thoroughly. It will go on and look better if the components are well mixed. Stir for three minutes.
Always paint a room from top to bottom. The job will go faster and turn out better if you follow this game plan:
1. Paint the ceiling. Use a trim brush to “cut in” the edges of the ceiling where it meets the walls. Paint a 2- to 4-inch-wide strip that “feathers” out toward the middle of the room. Begin painting the ceiling immediately. Start in a corner, and paint across the narrowest dimension of the room.
2. Paint the walls. Start when the ceiling is dry. Do one wall at a time. Use a trim brush to cut in where the walls meet the ceiling, around doors and windows, and along the baseboards. Begin painting the walls immediately.
3. Paint the windows. Use an angular sash brush and, if you like, a smaller brush for the dividers.
4. Paint the doors. Use a trim brush. Work quickly and carefully.
Don’t forget to paint all six sides.
5. Paint the door and window trim. Use a sash brush. Paint the edges and then the face.
6. Paint the baseboards. Use a sash brush. Protect the floor/carpet with painter's tape and/or a paint shield.
It’s best to work with a partner. One can cut in the edges, and the other can follow along with the roller. Use a roller wherever you can, and use plenty of paint to avoid the need for a second coat.
Painting ceilings: It’s best to work in a 3-foot-square “W” pattern. For walls, an “M” is the way to go. Here’s why: A zigzag pattern spreads the paint evenly over the section and lets you fill in without lifting the roller.
Use even, medium pressure, and stop when the section is evenly covered. Then move on to another section. You can move sideways or up and down (it doesn’t matter). You will avoid lap marks if you overlap a bit of the section just painted while it is still wet. An extension pole will let you paint the ceiling and the high sections of the walls without a ladder.
Painting a window
First decide whether to mask off the glass, or paint carefully and scrape off any paint when you’re done. If you want to mask, you can do it with tape or by using a peel-off film you apply with a roll-on applicator.
Start in the middle of the window. Use a little brush to paint the dividers in double-hung windows or the inside edge of the frame if it’s some other type. Switch to a 2-inch sash brush and paint the window frame and the trim. Finally, paint the sill and the trim below the sill.
Painting a paneled door: Work from the middle outward. Follow this sequence: 1) panels, 2) the horizontal areas between the panels, 3) the vertical areas between the panels, 4) the edges, 5) the horizontal areas at the top and bottom, and 6) the vertical areas on the outside.
If your door is flush/plain, start at the top and work your way to the bottom.them. |
