How to Paint a Room the Correct Way
There is much more to painting a room than simply brushing some paint on the walls and letting it dry. Preparing the room properly and using the correct tools will ensure that the finished room is painted correctly. While you can choose any type of interior paint that you wish, latex-based interior paints are preferable for their coverage and ease of use and cleanup. With the right equipment and proper painting technique, you can transform the color of your room like a pro. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Screwdriver
- Mild liquid soap
- Bucket
- Clean rags
- Drop cloth
- Painter's tape
- Interior paint of choice
- Paint tray
- Paintbrushes
- Step stool or small ladder
- Paint roller
Instructions
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1
Remove all light switch plates from the walls using a screwdriver and move any furniture that blocks access to the walls to the center of the room or out of it.
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Fill a bucket with warm water and add a few drops of any mild liquid soap.
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3
Submerge a clean rag in the water and wring out to remove excess moisture. Wipe all the walls down that you plan to paint, rinsing the rag in the bucket as necessary. Let the walls dry.
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Place drop cloths over any remaining furniture, as well on the floor at the base of the walls to protect them from paint splatters.
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Cover any areas that you do not wish to paint with painter's tape. This could include the edges of a light fixture base, around door knobs, and windowsills or other trim you plan to paint a different color.
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Pour the interior paint of your choose into a paint tray.
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Paint the edges of the room using a 2 1/2 inch angled paintbrush. This is called "cutting in" the room; the brush can reach corners and other places that a paint roller can't. Paint a 2- to 3-inch wide band around all the corners and seams, next to the molding and against the ceiling. Use a step stool or small ladder to reach the high corners and ceiling areas.
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Change your brush for a paint roller and fill in the walls using strong back and forth motions to apply the paint in a thick, even layer.
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Allow the paint to dry completely and determine if you need another coat to get the coverage and shade that you seek.
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Use 2-inch-wide flat headed paintbrush to paint the baseboards or trim of the room, as well as any windowsills. You can choose to use the same color or a different one to complement the wall color.
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Replace the light switch plates once the paint has dried completely, remove the drop cloths and painter's tape.
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References
- Photo Credit Ablestock.com/AbleStock.com/Getty Images
