Beginner's Guide: How to Paint a Room

If you've never touched a paintbrush or paint roller before, but want to learn how to paint a room, you've come to the right place. Here you'll find an easy to follow guide on the materials you'll need to paint a room, as well as step-by-step instructions on how to do it. You'll find that this is a very easy project to take on yourself, and it won't cost a lot of money to complete. Yet, a new coat of paint will make a dramatic difference in the look and feel of any room in the house.

If you need assistance selecting a paint sheen, you may find the following article to be helpful. Choosing the Right Paint Sheen - A Beginner's Guide provides helpful insight to choosing the best type of paint for your needs. Keep in mind that one gallon of paint will cover roughly 400 square feet of space.

The supplies needed to paint a room are:

- Plastic drop cloth
- Paint (color of your choice)
- Paint tray
- Paint roller
- Extra heads for the paint roller
- 2" paintbrush
- Painters tape
- Stepstool or small ladder
- Screwdriver
- Painter's Putty (Don't know what this is? CLICK HERE)
- Putty knife
- Sandpaper

All of the supplies listed above can be purchased at any home improvement store or anywhere that paint is sold. A quick note about painters tape - don't try to use any other kind of tape in place of it. Why? Because painters tape is specifically made to smooth on the wall easily, stay in place, and then pull off (even if it's covered in paint) without causing damage to the wall.

NOTE - Before you can paint a room, make sure the walls are clean and free of dirt and other debris. Wipe down the walls with clean water to ensure you're working with a clean surface.

How to prep before you can paint a room:

STEP 1 - Using a screwdriver, remove all electrical outlets and light switches from the wall.

STEP 2 - Remove any artwork, mirrors, paintings, etc. from the walls.

STEP 3 - Fill in any nail holes and other small blemishes with painter's putty and allow it to dry completely. If necessary, lightly sand the area until it's smooth.

STEP 4 - Mask off baseboards, windowsills, molding, and the ceiling with painter's tape.

STEP 5 - Lay the drop cloth beneath your work area to protect the carpeting. If you cannot move the furniture away from your workspace, you'll also want to cover it with a drop cloth.

How to paint a room:

Once the entire room is prepped, you're ready to start painting. In all honesty, it's downhill from here. Prepping the room is time consuming, but once you're finished painting you'll be glad you took the time to do it. Now, let's get down to learning how to paint a room.

STEP 1 - Pour some of the paint into the paint tray. Dip the paintbrush into the paint and begin painting at and 2" above the baseboard level. This will make rolling-on the paint much easier when you get to that step. Once you're finished with the baseboards, repeat this process at the ceiling level and around any molding and windowsills.

STEP 2 - Now that you've painted around all the hard to reach places, you're ready to start painting. Simply place the paint roller in the tray and roll off any excess on the flat surface of the tray. You want to have an adequate amount of paint on the roller, but not enough that it's dripping off.

STEP 3 - Begin painting a room one wall at a time. Roll the paint on the wall until the area beneath it is completely covered. As you paint, you'll notice the color will differentiate from one spot to another, but this will all even out once you're completely finished. Resist the urge to repaint over a wall that is still 'tacky' wet, as this will only prove to transfer the paint off the walls.

STEP 4 - As you paint a room, you'll need to get as close to that 2" area that you pre-painted at the baseboards and ceiling as you possibly can. You don't want to skip over this area simply because it's already painted. Paint as close to the line as you can so that your paint will blend.

STEP 5 - After all the walls are painted step back and look at the room. If you see any streaks, or any spots that were missed, you will either need to apply a second coat of paint or just touch-up the small areas that you missed. Look closely around windowsills, door jams, and corners to ensure you've covered all the areas.

Once you have finished painting a room, you should feel proud of your accomplishment! Once you're sure the paint is dry, you can remove the painters tape and truly admire your finished project.

More from Jennifer Wagner:
Choosing the Right Paint Sheen - A Beginner's Guide
How to Clean Paint Brushes and Rollers
The Importance of Pre-Painting Prep Work

　

SOURCE:

Personal knowledge and experience

Jenny Wagner - Columbush Home Improvement Examiner

Jennifer Wagner - Yahoo! Contributor Network