How to Complete Your Interior Painting Project and Achieve a Professionally Finished Look

Interior painting is pretty straight forward, attention to detail and a few tricks here and there and your new paint will look like you hired professionals.

1) Surface prep: Paint cannot stick to just any old thing, crayons, extreme dirt or dust, nicotine and smoke will give you fits. Hopefully you will not have to wash the walls but if you have to, most any household cleaner in warm water works.

Crayons and wax need to be removed by scrapping or using a heat gun to rid the heavy deposits, and then scrub by hand. Use a shop vac to vacuum up the dust or dirt before you try washing the walls.

2) Cover it: Your floors, furniture and any other larger items you cannot move from the room.

3) Remove it: Light switch covers, outlet covers, grab handles, towel racks, etc.

4) Masking tape and paper: Any trim molding, baseboards, switches or outlets, and fixtures you cannot remove. Be sure not to touch any live wires when taping, cover only the plastic and take care not to get paint on the switches and outlets. Tape off window and door trim that is not to be painted, door knobs and the locks as well.

Large objects are best papered and taped off. A masking machine works very well here but adds unnecessary expense for small interior painting jobs

5) Fill holes: Water based spackling compound applied from a fingertip works wonders; it will fill nail holes and other minor defects and requires no tools at all. The water cleanup is nice as well.

6) Paint choices: Interior paints come in a variety of types; water based latex, oil base for cabinets, acrylics and even stains. Then we have flat, semi-gloss, satin and gloss. Quality of paint is also an issue; you get what you pay for, so find a reputable dealer.

$2.00 per gallon paint is no bargain if it takes ten gallons to paint one room.

Flat paint isn't normally used on walls; it's used with ceilings in mind as a non glare ceiling cover. Semi gloss or gloss is decided on by several factors but personal taste plays a part as does the reflected glare. Flat paint isn't easily cleaned, a bad choice where small children may come into contact with the walls.

At this point I'll assume you already have your paint, had it mixed to a color of your choice and had it thoroughly shaken at the store.

Begin with a brush, A three inch angled or sash brush will trim out the corners till a roller will cover what is left without scrapping the walls. Trim out the molding, plumbing, light switches and outlets. Baseboards will need trimmed as well unless they are to be part of you interior painting project. Anything you do not want paint on, tape off and trim around with the brush!

Clean your brush with water for latex interior paint or paint thinner for oil based interior paint. A wire brush will help remove clumps or nearly dried paint. It is possible to submerge just the bristles in clean water or thinner, in a clean bucket or even the paint if it isn't too deep until you have finished for the day and then clean them.

Once all the trimming out is complete, break out the paint roller and pan. Do not overfill the pan or it will end up on the floor instead of your walls. Keep the roller wet, never dry roll or keep rolling after the roller stops leaving paint. (It will show when dry.)

Change the direction you're rolling constantly, also to aid in hiding roller marks and re-roll any drips or edge marks left by the roller.

Make sure you have adequate lighting; few things can ruin your attitude like finding bare spots in a painted wall after you are done and all your equipment is cleaned up!

Now that your interior painting project is complete, slide into that recliner, grab the remote, sip a cold one and enjoy!