Preparing to Paint: A Guide to DIY Interior Painting Prep
The article discusses ways to prepare for an interior paint project. Tips include having all supplies at hand and wiping the walls before painting.
Depending on the size of your painting project, thepreparation may take longer than the actual painting job. From selecting paint topreparing the room and walls, expect to spend a day on preparation.
Paint Selection
Are you unsure whether the paint colors you picked are whatyou really want? Consider asking yourpaint supplier for a small sample of paint. Use the sample to paint a portionof a wall or to paint large pieces of cardboard. Then, wait a few days todetermine if you are satisfied with the color selection.
Amount of Paint
Calculating how much paint youll need for your project isone of the most intimidating aspects of painting. Nobody wants to run out ofpaint in the middle of a project. As a general rule, 1 gallon of paint willcover about 350 square feet. There are several considerations you makewhen determining how much paint you need. Consider the following:
Will you be painting unpainted drywall? If so, then you will need more paint as itabsorbs more of the paint.
Walls that are unfinished, heavily patched, or dark in colorusually need two coats of paint.
If you will be applying light colored paint to a darkcolored wall, then also plan for two to three coats of paint. You may want toconsider using a white primer as it could help lighten up the walls beforeapplying the paint.
Supply Preparation
There are many painting tools available on the market. Fromeco-friendly brushes to convenient brush extension holders, the right tools canhelp your project go smoother. The following is a list of the basic paintingtools needed for a DIY interior painting project:
Blue Painters Tape
Brushes
Bucket
Canvas drop cloth
Hole Filler
Plastic drop cloth
Primers
Putty knife
Screen
Rags
Roller
Roller cover
Roller tray
Razor blades (for scraping paint)
Sand Paper
Screwdriver (for removing hardware)
Spackling
Sponges
Stirrer
Room Preparation
Thorough room preparation will prevent paint from gettingonto your floor and furniture.
Here are the steps you should follow for preparing yourroom:
1. Remove hardware and electrical outlet covers.
2. Cover or remove lighting fixtures.
3. Remove curtains.
4. Remove or cover furniture.
5. Cover floors with canvas tarps, and secure with painters tapeif necessary.
Wall Preparation
1.Remove nails and hooks.
2. Caulk and patch any holes or imperfections.
3. Sand walls imperfections. A light scouring pad can beused as an alternative to sanding.
4. Wipe the walls with damp rags or cloth. Removing dust anddirt will help the paint stick better.
5. Place painters tape around moldings, doors and windows.
6. Apply a primer to walls that have discolorations oruneven surfaces.
Final Preparations
Prepare for clean-up by placing rags or towels near the sinkwhere youll be rinsing brushes and other tools.
Get all your tools together and organize them in the roomfor easy access.
Crack open a window for fresh air. Even if you will be usinglow VOC paint it is still a good idea to get some fresh air circulating.
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