How to Prep a Room for Painting

By taking the time to prep a room before painting, you'll not only protect your belongings, but you'll ensure that your hard work was worth the effort. Paint will last longer and look better when the area it is applied to has been properly prepared. If you've ever walked into a room and noticed paint on the ceiling, on the baseboards, or saw areas of the wall that paint didn't adhere to, it's likely due to a lack of prep work beforehand. This can all be prevented with a little extra time and effort.

Don't be tempted to skip painting prep work

Let me start by saying this. No one likes to prep a room for painting. It's time consuming, tedious, and not at all fun. It's not that the work is hard, it just seems like more work than is necessary. That doesn't mean it's not important. Prepping a room before painting is very necessary because wall condition, paint splatter, and human error are not things you can predict.

How to prep a room for painting

Obviously, you will want to fill in any holes with putty and sand down any rough areas with sandpaper. This is something most people are aware they need to do. But, in addition to this you will want to:

Wash the walls - First thing's first. Wash down the area you will be painting with a mixture of warm water and white distilled vinegar. This will remove dirt, dust, and other debris, and ensure that you will be painting over a smooth, clean surface. Paint adheres better to a clean surface - Bonus!

Mask off - It takes a bit of time to mask off baseboards, window casings, moldings, and doorways, but it is worth the effort. Paint splatter cannot be prevented, no matter how good you are at painting. Use painter's tape to mask off these areas to prep a room for painting. Don't substitute painter's tape with something less expensive! This kind of tape is designed to pull away from a freshly painted surface without damage. It works great.

Remove objects from walls - Everything needs to be removed from the walls before painting, even light switches and electrical outlets. Yes, you could paint around them but it would leave behind visible brushstrokes or streaks around these objects. If you're going to go through the trouble of painting, you want the completed job to look even.

Use drop cloths - Paint can spill or splatter from the paintbrush, out of the paint tray, or even from the walls. Drop cloths will protect the flooring and furniture while you paint.

Newspaper - If you will be using a faux paint technique, it's a good idea to cover the walls with newspaper before you begin. Due to the way the brush or sponge has to be used to apply these attractive paint techniques, it is easy to splatter paint on the ceiling.

To prime or not to prime?

There are some situations that will require you to prime the walls before painting to ensure a good application. Some of the situations that may require primer include the following:

- Painting over dark paint

- Painting over oil paint

- Painting over stain

- Painting porous surfaces

- Painting rooms exposed to humidity

- Painting moisture prone rooms

Discuss your situation with a paint specialist to find out if you will need to use a paint primer to prep for painting.

More from Jennifer Wagner:

How to Get Wax Out of Carpet

20+ DIY Home Improvement Projects

Solutions to Common Paint Problems

Source: Personal experience