DIY Painting with Shiny Paint

• Masking to Paint Trim Molding
• Paint Raised Panel Doors
• Painting Trim Molding
• Washing Brushes and Rollers

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 to get a smooth paint finish with no flashing.

Painting a Room One Color

Paint the corners and around trim molding using a 2 or 2½in. sash brush to apply about a 3 inch border of paint. Overlap all adjacent surfaces to cover everything with a good coat of paint.

On the trim apply the paint to at least one break point like the outer corner of a door or window case. This will make it possible to come back to finish the trim painting later without having a flashing problem.

Roll the paint starting with the ceiling and then do the walls. Overlap the brushed corners with the roller and let it bump the adjacent surface slightly. This will help to blend the two areas together.

Let the paint dry for at least an hour and check the coverage. If you can see the difference between the brushed and rolled areas or the paint doesn't cover the old finish, do another coat. Follow the same procedure as with the first coat, brushing the corners and then rolling the wide areas.

Apply as many coats as needed to get good coverage, letting the paint dry completely between each coat. If you use a good quality paint, you may be able to do just one, or at the most, two coats for good coverage. If you use a lower grade paint expect to do at least two coats and probably three or even more to get good coverage.

When the walls and ceiling are finished, paint the trim molding with the brush. Start at the top and work down, doing any crown molding first and then moving to doors and windows, chair rails and other wall trim and finally to the baseboards.