How To Paint Interior Rooms
Remember that whenever you are going to wallpaper or paint a surface, you must be sure that the surface is clean and dry before you start. If you are using a paint stripper, be sure to ask the hardware store for a ‘safe’ stripper that contains no harsh or environmentally toxic chemicals. Always wear a mask and safety glasses when you are sanding or stripping your walls. The debris from stripping is considered hazardous waste and must be handled accordingly. You can check with your hardware store, or with your local health department to find out how to dispose of old paint debris and chips. If you have to scrape your walls, use a putty knife or scraper but be sure not to press too hard or angle the knife too much so you don’t gouge the wall itself. You can also use a brass bristled brush to scrub debris off the walls. When you are ready to paint, be sure you have your primers and your finish colors selected and do not skip the primer coat. The primer will prepare the surface and ensure that your final coat will look fresh and clean. Latex primers work well on drywall, plaster and concrete. They dry quickly and they are water soluble. Alkyd works well on raw wood. You will usually have to leave this to dry overnight. Use paint thinner for cleaning, as it is not water soluble. For your finish paints, you can choose from high gloss, semi-gloss or flat. Ø High gloss paint is also called ‘enamel’. It is shiny and slightly reflective and provides a water resistant, washable surface for rooms like the bathroom and the kitchen. Ø Semi-gloss paint is also called ‘eggshell’. It does resist moisture better than a flat paint so you can use it in areas like a child’s room where you want some washability and durability. Ø Flat paints are the best choice for walls that have a lot of irregularity, as it does not show these flaws as readily. It is not as durable or washable but you can use a damp cloth to clean splatters or dirt off the wall if you are careful. Finish paints are available in latex and alkyd base. Latex works best on drywall and alkyd works best on wood trim or raw wood. When you choose a primer or finish paint, you should



not look first at the price. Less expensive paints are fine in some instances, but for an accent wall or a room that you really want to show off, the premium products will give you more selection for color, more pigments, and more resins, which result in a better look, more durability and a longer life span. Here are a couple of painting tips that will help you complete your paint job with a professional look: Ø Mask the surfaces next to the walls you are painting so that you don’t get paint on those surfaces. Just get a roll of ‘tape paper’ from your local paint store, and roll it down the wall in the corner to cover the area you do not want mask off any adjoining surfaces you don't want to get painted. You should buy a tape that is sticky enough to stay in place during the painting process and that will avoid seepage from the adjoining wall when you are painting. Mask off the glass on the edges of the window panes so that you don’t have to scrape them later. ‘Cut In’ the corners where the ceiling and wall meet by using a brush (instead of a roller). Using your brush, cut a band of paint along the edge. Then you can use your roller to cover the walls up to the bottom of this band, so that you don’t bump into the ceiling or miss spots near the ceiling with your roller. Do not create your ‘cut in’ band around the entire room in one session. Work along the ceiling line as you go along so that the edge of your brush-painted band is still fresh and wet when your roller cuts in along the band you have painted. That way, you can avoid the distraction of a visible edge (overlap) between the rolled paint and the brushed paint when the wall dries. Professional painters usually brush or roll the paint from dry areas back into a web area to create a smooth look. When you are using a roller to paint a ceiling or wall, consider buying an extension handle so you don’t have to work on a ladder as much. When you work with a roller, keep the sections small (no larger than two feet by four feet) as you work. Work with a roller that is fully covered with paint so that there is no variation in the coverage of the area on which you are working.


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