Preparation for Interior Painting
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Before beginning to paint a room it would be a good idea to first consider the type of paint you will be using. It will make the job easier all around if you use flat latex paint on the ceiling and walls. This will make it possible to touch–up paint on missed spots and smudges, without flashing. It will also make it easier to cut–in and if you need to mask to paint a straight line, painting with flat latex makes for sharper lines and less peeling when removing the tape.
If You're Using Flat Paint
Using flat latex will also reduce the amount of work required because it will be self–priming on all wall repairs. Using just one paint means no need for two rollers and no need to wait for primer to dry before starting to roll the ceiling or walls. The flat wall or ceiling paint can also be used to prime any joint compound or spackle on wood trim.
If You're Using Shiny Paint
If you need to use a shiny paint like eggshell, semi–gloss or high–gloss on the walls or ceiling, you will need to take extra care to avoid flashing and roller marks. It won't be possible to touch up, in most cases, without causing a flashing problem and touch–up will not be possible at all when the paint has dried, even slightly.
All joint compound will have to be thoroughly primed with a flat paint or there will be dull spots in the finish. Rolling shiny paint will also require special attention to the direction you roll to avoid an uneven finish. Always roll in the same direction and overlap your strokes repeatedly to blend the paint evenly. This will make it harder to do a good job when furniture is stacked and covered in the center of the room and you have to work around it.
Use a Quality Paint
Another consideration with regard to paint choice is the quality. Always use the best, usually most expensive, paint a supplier offers. Top quality paints are thicker and will cover much better than even the second best paint in a product line. Better quality translates to better coverage and can be the difference between one or two coats and multiple coats to cover completely.
Preparing the Room
Painting a room should be done in a logical order to minimize the work and clean–up required to complete the job. The first step is to take everything off the walls, ceiling and trim and move all the furniture into the center of the room.
If you will be painting the ceiling, you will want to either provide a space for a ladder under any center light fixture or plan to paint around the fixture before moving anything under it. Then you can roll the ceiling with a roller pole after everything is covered in the middle of the room.
This will only really work if you're using flat latex paint on the ceiling. If you're using eggshell or other shiny paint it will probably cause a flashing problem if you wait too long to roll into the brush work.
If you want to use a shiny ceiling paint or you have a lot of cracks to repair and other work to do on the ceiling, you may want to move all furniture out of the room. The work involved will be well worth it in saved effort on the ceiling painting and repairs. It will also make the whole paint job much easier and keep dust off all your stuff.
If you choose to work with the furniture in the room, use one or two large drop clothes to cover all the stuff in the center and then cover the floors around the perimeter with runners (long narrow dropclothes). A thin, 1–mil plastic can be used to cover the center but canvas dropclothes should be used on the floor. The canvas will be easier to shake to remove scraping and sanding dust before beginning with the painting part of the job and they won't slip around when walking on them.
Making Repairs
With everything covered the repairs can be done. First remove any nails or hardware that you won't be using again from walls, ceiling and trim molding. Clear all cracks along the molding of loose wall material and cracking or peeling caulk. Seal any stains on wallboard and trim molding with primer–sealer and use one of our wall repair guides to fix drywall and plaster cracks, peeling drywall tape, bubbling paint, torn drywall paper, nail pops or water damage.
After repairs, vacuum up all dust and wall material from along window sills and baseboards and turn the dropcloth back a little to get to any dust along the edge of the floor. Turn the dropcloth back against the baseboard and prime the dry repair compound with flat latex paint or latex primer.
Repair any nail or screw holes in trim molding in one of two ways. If the holes are large (more than about a quarter inch), repair them using the nail pop repair procedure and vinyl spackle. When the spackle is dry sand and reapply if necessary. Sand the final coat and prime with flat latex paint or primer.
If the holes in the trim are smaller, which is usually the case, you can use painters putty to quickly fill them. The putty requires just one application and doesn't need priming, making this a much easier solution for holes in wood trim molding.
To fill holes in trim roll a small, 1|2 inch ball of putty back and forth in your hand until it is soft and no longer stricky. With your thumb, press the ball into a nail hole and hold it there. Slide a putty knife blade, in an upward motion, between your thumb and the molding to cut the putty off flush. Press hard to get the best finish.
If the filler edges curl up, gently rub the putty in an outward direction away from the hole to even it out. Be careful not to press on the putty over the hole to avoid creating an unwanted depression. If you mess up the putty in the hole or if it doesn't fill the space evenly, press the ball into the hole again and cut it off with the putty knife. Repeat this until you get the fill you want.
Caulking the Trim
When the wall, ceiling and trim repairs have been sanded and primed, the caulking between wallboard and trim molding can be done. If cracks are wider than about 3|8 inch, fill them with spray foam insulation first. Fill other cracks along baseboards, door and window frames, chair rails or crown molding with acrylic latex caulk.
Some cracks may require two applications of caulk to completely fill them. With wide gaps like this, build up the caulk on the wall surface behind the molding. Spread the caulk along the wall, working the tube back and forth if necessary to apply a thick coat. When the caulk starts to sag and slide down, stop and let it harden. Caulk the remaining gap when the first coat has set enough to support a second application. Let this thick caulk set overnight before trying to paint over it.
Cleaning Up
After all caulking has been done, the dropclothes on the floor should be removed and the floor vacuumed. Ball up each dropcloth starting at one end to fold the debris into the center. Carry it outside to shake off the debris and dust. If going outside isn't possible, gently open the cloth inside a large plastic trash bag and shake the debris off, then shake it out a window to get rid of the dust. Vacuum the floor and lay the dropclothes back in place to do the painting.
