DIY Interior Painting
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Many rooms in the house, including living and dining rooms, will look refined with a white ceiling and trim molding and a darker, accent color on the walls. The instructions on this page will help with painting two or more colors in an interior room.
Whenever possible it's best to use flat latex paint on walls and ceilings and reserve shiny paint finishes for the trim molding. Flat latex paint is very forgiving and won't show brush marks and re–touched areas like shiny paints will. In addition, flat latex paint can be rolled after the brush work is dry without noticeable marks.
In kitchens and bathrooms where you want to use a shiny paint like eggshell or semi–gloss on walls, it can be a good idea to paint the whole room one color. This will make it easier to get a smooth paint finish with no flashing. For help painting kitchens and bathrooms with shiny paint use this link.
Paint the Walls
If you have to mask to get straight paint lines between different ceiling and wall colors or wall and trim colors, start by painting the walls first.
Use a sash brush to paint around trim and along the ceiling, letting the wall paint overlap slightly onto the adjacent surfaces. Roll the walls using these paint rolling techniques. If you're using shiny paint, roll the walls before the brush work dries to avoid flashing.
Check the Finish
Let the paint dry and check for good coverage. At the least you will probably be able to see the difference between the brush work and the rolled paint, indicating the need for a second coat. If you're using a lower grade paint the edges may also need to be brushed a second time to get good coverage.
Do as many additional coats as needed to be sure you have solid coverage on the walls. Do the brush work first and then roll the wide spaces. Always overlap the brushed corners with the roller with each coat to avoid a flashing problem. Let the final coat dry for about a week.
Brush the Ceiling
When the paint is good and dry mask the walls and brush a light coat of ceiling paint around the edges, overlapping as little as possible onto the wall tape.
Paint a band about 3 inches wide around the edge of the ceiling. Brush two coats if necessary for good coverage, but for a sharp line between paint colors, avoid using a thick coat of paint over the tape. If you're using a shiny paint, pull the masking tape off the wall, as soon as the brush work is done.
Roll the Ceiling
Roll the ceiling, overlapping the brush work with the roller. Go slow along the wall to avoid touching it with the paint roller, especially if you had to pull the tape. Let the paint dry and check for good coverage. Roll a second coat if necessary.
Paint the Trim Molding
Paint the trim to finish the job. Mask the walls and use a sash cut brush to paint the trim. Trim is best painted following a logical order. Start at the top, inner most features first and then move out and down. If you're using a glossy paint, be extra careful to avoid excess paint along the masking tape.
Remove the Tape Promptly
Because these paints contain plastic they tend to peel away from the surface with the masking tape when it's removed. For this reason it's best to pull the tape off before eggshell, semi–gloss and high–gloss paints can dry.
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