By
eHow Home & Garden Editor
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Things You’ll Need:
- Paintbrushes
- Interior Paints
- Primers
- Power Rollers
- Drop Cloths
- Ladders
- Paint Rollers
- Light-grit Sandpaper
- Paint Roller Pans
- Household Rags
Step1
Prepare the walls and ceiling (see 'eHow to Prepare a Room for Painting'). Use a stain-blocking primer to cover any dark mark you can't remove (stains, knots, ink, dark paint); otherwise, that area will bleed through. Never paint on wallpaper (see 'eHow to Remove Wallpaper').
Step2
Make sure there is adequate ventilation in the room.
Step3
Plan on three coats: one coat of primer and two coats of finish. Always use primer on patched and unpainted surfaces; raw surfaces suck up paint like a sponge - or reject it.
Step4
Paint into all the corners with a 2-inch or 3-inch paintbrush. Use the same brush to outline where the ceiling meets the wall (and vice versa), around doors and windows, above the baseboard and around any other trim or detailing - and wherever a paint roller won't fit.
Step5
Pour some paint into the roller pan and roll away on the ceiling and then the walls. Pour only a small amount of paint in your roller pan - this will keep the paint from drying out before you can use it.
Step6
Try to start rolling before the brushed-on paint has had time to dry, so that the rolled-on paint will blend in rather than become a second coat. Rolling out a W, about 3 feet wide, and then filling it in, assures an even application of paint. Get as close into the corners as you can without making a messy paint line.
Step7
Paint from dry areas into wet. This will help reduce any paint ridges. Feather (thin out) all edges as you go, whether using a brush or a roller; this will also help reduce ridges.
Step8
Cover cans or buckets when you're not using them. Keep a rag and brush handy to deal with drips, spills and the general messiness of the process. If a drip becomes too dry to spread out, let it dry. Come back later, sand it and paint over it.
Paint a Room
Comments
mrbipana said
on 12/31/2007 Hey this is a great starting point article and I enjoyed reading it. I wrote an article myself on How to Paint a room at howtopaintaroom.blogspot.com/ and I thought you might enjoy reading it.
jeannedb said
on 8/6/2007 Two suggestions:
1) If it would be decoratively pleasing, consider painting the ceiling the same color as the walls. This can actually make a smaller room seem a bit bigger. This probably would not be advisable with dark, heavy colors.
2) There are a few new rollers on the market. Some are much smaller (diameter-wise) than the standard. While it may seem like you may have to reload them with paint more often, they can be a fantastic trade-off for those whose arms tire from the heavier paint-loaded standard rollers. I'm not a professional painter, but I do a lot of painting and have found these new rollers to be invaluable!
dja21149 said
on 8/6/2007 One should always begin at a point furthest from the window and work toward the window, the daylight from the window makes it easier to see the finish as you go and your less likely to miss bits.
Alan1954 said
on 5/25/2007 Paint during daylight hours. Do the ceiling first. When rolling, keep your feet and paint solidly on the floor, not on a ladder. Attach a long fiberglass pole to the roller and use both hands to make the work easier. If the walls are smooth and flat, painting W's is needless work. Instead, paint vertical strips, starting halfway up the wall and moving the roller up and down. If you hear the paint going on, your brush or roller is too wet or too dry. Minimize your effort to avoid soreness. Don't obsess; the next coat will cover any imperfections.
sandalslawrence said
on 10/22/2006 This is really more of a question, from an absolute beginner. Step 7 says to "feather" or "thin out" but not how to do that. Like I said, I'm an absolute beginner and so this isn't specific enough. Anybody know what it means?