How to Paint a Room

Prep Work

The first thing you want to do is prep the walls and space thoroughly. Clean the walls! Use a solution of dish detergent and water and scrub with a sponge. Once the wall is clean, rinse well with water to remove the sudsy residue.

People tend to skip this step, but if you don’t take the time to clean the grit and grime off of the walls, you won’t have a smooth, professional finish once you’ve added the new coat of paint.

After finishing washing the walls, if you notice any imperfections or damages on the wall, now is the time to fix them.

Next, cover the floor with drop cloths. You will want to use a drop cloth instead of a plastic covering because plastic won’t absorb the paint. You can create a very slippery and potentially messy situation using plastic to cover the floor.

Once you have the floor covered, tape the trim with painter’s tape (not masking tape). You want to use a painter’s tape with at least a two-inch width. Also, cover any moldings, windows, and door frames that aren’t being painted.

Prime the Walls

After you have finished taping, prime the walls; you should always prime the walls before painting, regardless of how many times the walls were painted previously. Priming the walls will make the new coat of paint look more vibrant and bold and is essential if you want professional-looking results.

Paint the Walls

Use a two-inch angled brush on areas of the wall where a paint roller can’t go. These areas include the trim and in the corners and around windows, doors, and moldings. Finally, use the W technique when painting. Start in a corner and paint a three-foot-by-three-foot W on the wall. Then fill in the W without ever lifting the roller from the wall. Keep this technique up until you finish. This technique reduces the visibility of brush marks.

Once you’re done painting the walls, remove the painter’s tape immediately from the trim. If you wait until the paint dries completely, you risk peeling the paint off the wall. Once the wall is completely dry, tape where the trim meets the wall. Then paint the trim, the door, and the window frames and moldings using a two-inch angled brush.

Ready to get started painting your home? If not, hire Paintzen for your paint project!