HOW TO PAINT A ROOM IN ONE WEEKEND – The color of a room is what gives it life which is why painting and decorating is the most common DIY home improvement project done by many homeowners. Some people change the color of their rooms when certain events take place. Others need to re-paint a room for specific reasons like having a baby where the room is turned into a nursery.
When painting a room, you can’t just brush your walls with paint any way you like. While it doesn’t mean that you have to be a professional for your room to have a good paint job, there’s a right way to a great paint job. This article will discuss the steps you need to know in order to paint your room just like an expert in just one weekend.
Plan Carefully
First off, you need to be patient. A project this big will require careful painting. Rushing won’t cut it. Drips, uneven shades, unaligned paint strokes, and slips will show when you paint in haste. You have to be fully prepared before beginning the actual painting so you need to allot at least one full day to set up everything you need and preparing the surface of the room you will paint.
When you say preparing the surface, it includes thorough sanding and scraping in order to remove any existing lumps. This will allow the paint to have a better hold on the surface. Scraping will help you to make sure all the layers of paint are removed. Ensure all gaps and holes are patched and all the dust is removed to have a spotless surface.
Patch the Holes
Once the holes are patched you should apply a primer to fill in the smaller pores on the surface. This will provide you with a quality base that can hold paint well. Changing the paint of your room from dark to light and vice versa will also require you to use a primer. If you are going from light color to dark color, you should ask the home improvement store to tint the primer in the same shade as your wall color so you can save on the amount of paint you need to apply. After you apply the primer, you should sand the surface again. You can sand after every layer of paint to get an even better finish.
Choose Angled Brushes
It’s best to use angled paint brushes rather than covering every edge with tape to guard against stray strokes. Paint can seep through some tapes and are also capable of dripping into their edges. Removing tapes can also cause peeling of paint. Angled brushes produce a straight line when the edge is used in painting. Corners and house trims can also be painted with the use of angled brushes. For a quality finish, paint these spots while leaving a few inches between two sides. Merge both sides by filling the unpainted area with the use of a paint roller.
You should use continuous strokes when painting. Apply paint on an area then even it out and move on to the next area. Avoid back and forth strokes of the brush because you will just be wasting your time in trying to balance the amount of paint. You will also need to have a damp rag ready to wipe off any uneven strokes you make. Don’t feel too bad because even experts make these mistakes.
With these tips in mind, read on and follow the easy steps on how to paint your room:
Step 1: Lay Down the Covering – Remove any object hanging on the walls and make sure that no furniture is near the walls. Cover the floor and hardware with canvas tarps held in place by painter’s tape. Canvas tarps are better than plastic since they are more absorbent and are not as slippery. Remove all the electrical outlets and switches then cover the holes with painter’s tape.
Step 2: Smooth the Surface – Beginning from the ceiling, use a pole sander to smooth the surface. Once done with the ceiling, move to the walls. Sweep the sander side to side moving from top to bottom. Use enough pressure but sure you don’t hit the surface with the head of the pole sander to avoid damage. Switch paper sander if it gets too congested with dust.
Use the scraper to remove any stray paint then rough up the surface with a rough sanding sponge. Have some warm water ready so you can rinse the sponge anytime. Finish it off by wiping a damp sponge with fine grains then clear off all the dust with vacuum. Mix dish soap with warm water and wash the walls down. Use clean water to clean the walls after.
Step 3: Filling the Holes and Gaps – Apply a small amount of caulk over holes and gaps and smoothen it out with your fingers. Be sure to wet your fingers so the caulk does not stick to your hand. Push the caulk into any holes or gaps. Use a putty knife for any small holes. For walls made of plaster material, use patching compound. On the other hand, use joint compound for drywall.
Sand the surface after applying the caulk then apply the primer. Again, sand the surface then wipe off the dust using a damp sponge.
Step 4: Painting the Edges – Dip an angled brush into the paint bucket up to about a third of the bristles. To remove the excess, tap your brush on the side of the bucket. Brush about two to three inches of paint on the corners, ceiling, and molding to provide your roller with ample space once you paint the adjacent areas.
Step 5: Joining Both Sides – Once you paint two sides, you need to apply paint to make both sides meet. Brush a line of paint on the wall until you reach about an inch of the edge then turn the brush onto the bristle tips. Press the angled brush slightly then carefully apply a line of paint until the point where the trim meets the wall. Do this for other common areas as well, including nearby interior doors.
Step 6: Rolling the Paint – When you’ve finished painting the frame of you’re a wall area, use the paint roller to fill the field with paint. Fill a tray with paint and dip your roller in it. Push the roller along a grate to squeeze out excess paint and distribute the paint evenly.
Step 7: Roll a W or M shape on the wall to distribute the majority of the paint on the roller. Level the paint by rolling over the W or M using vertical strokes until the whole wall is covered. If there is a need for another coat of paint, allow the first coating to dry before doing so.
Step 8: Painting the Trims – Use a straight-edged brush for large moldings. Finish off by painting a straight line along the edge of the trims using a small angled brush. Use the same strokes as Step 5.
