How to Prepare a Room for Painting

You have selected your colors, bought the paint and supplies, donned an old t-shirt, and now what? Preparing the room a day ahead of time will make any painting project go smoothly.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Several rolls of painter's tape
• Newspaper
• Drop clothes or old sheets
• Screwdrivers
• Hammer
• Dry wall compound
• Fine sandpaper
• 2 Putty knives (one of them should be at least 3 inches wide)

Get the Room Ready to Paint

1. Remove everything you can from the room. It is easier to work in an empty room so move any furniture that is easy to move to another area of the house.

2. Any furniture that can't be moved out of the room should be moved at least two feet from the wall. Cover all remaining furniture with drop cloths.

3. Using the proper screwdrivers to remove all light switch and outlet covers as well as heat and air return vents from all the walls you will be painting.

4. Use the painters tape to mask off any woodwork in the room. Go all the way around windows and doorways. Carefully tape newspaper to all the baseboards and the tops of the door frames and windows to keep them free of drips. Be careful to bring the tape as close to the wall as you can without actually getting any tape on the wall.

5. Completely cover the floor with drop clothes or old sheets. If you use sheets be sure to have extra newspaper on hand when you start painting. You will need to place several layers of newspaper under your paint cans and roller trays to prevent drips from leaking through.

6. Use the back of the hammer to remove any nails from the wall.

7. Use the drywall compound, putty knives and sand paper to repair any dents or nail holes in the wall.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure you keep track of all the screws and plates as you take them out. Put all the hardware in a safe place in another room so you can easily find it when you are ready to replace them.
• Any holes you repair in the wall will require drying time before you can sand them. It's best to let the compound dry overnight and sand just before you start painting.
• If you have a lot of sanding to do wear a mask to keep from inhaling the fine dust.
• Be very cautious around live outlets once you have removed the covers to avoid getting an electric shock.

[lilybean]

on 2/7/2008 easy steps, thx