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Whether you are refinishing a small bathroom or your entire house, you may find the thought of applying paint rather intimidating. In this article we will examine some of the interior painting techniques used by professionals to make your task easier and help you to produce a quality finish.
For the do-it-yourself person, I highly recommend using latex paint for both indoor and outdoor applications. This paint usually applies smoothly, wears well, and cleans up easily. Contrary to popular belief, latex paint does include an oil base, however, the base is water-soluble. Therefore, brushes and rollers can be cleaned with warm, soapy water. Another advantage of latex paint is that paint spills can be cleaned up more easily and without the use of toluene-based solvents or other mineral spirits.
Latex paint, like its mineral oil-base counterparts, is available in a variety of grades, colors, and finishes. The term 'grade' refers to the quality of the product line. Just like there are 'economy' and 'luxury' automobiles, there are also various qualities of paints produced by most paint manufacturers. With paint, as with a luxury car, you usually get what you pay for. Most paint producers provide at least three lines of products. These are:
-Professional grade: Contrary to the name this is usually the lowest grade of paint. It is commonly used for high-volume rapid application such as would be needed for a series of newly built homes or appartments. This grade is usually available in white and off-white colors since it is expected that it will be repainted by the occupants of the new structure.
-Deluxe or mid-grade: This is probably the most commonly used grade for finishing or refinishing coats. This grade usually applies well and is fairly durable. It is a bit more expensive than the lower grade, but the cost is usually well worth it.
-Premium grade: The most expensive of the paint grades, premium paint is often used on high-visibility and high-wear surfaces where quality and durability are a must. If you have a decorative display area or trim then you might consider using a premium grade finish for these areas.
Most paints come in a limited number of standard colors, however, literally thousands of colors are available in most any line of paint products. To prepare the color you want, a person at the hardware or paint store will begin with a 'base', and will add various amounts of 'pigment' to produce the desired color. The most common color bases are white, mid-tone, deep, and neutral. Look out for colors made with a neutral base or those that have 'low hiding' properties. You will usually need three or more coats of these to cover an existing color.
There are several types of 'finishes' for paint products. These are listed below in order of 'luster' (or shine):
-Flat: A dry finish with no surface reflection. Feels rough and dry to the touch. This is the most common wall and ceiling finish used throughout the house.
-Satin: A semi-dry finish with little surface reflection. This finish feels a bit smoother and less dry
to the touch than the flat finish.
-Eggshell: A mild sheen with a somewhat smooth surface. This finish still feels a bit textured and just a little dry to the touch.
-Semi-gloss: A moderately reflective finish. A surface coated with this finish will feel smooth. This is an ideal finish for high-traffic areas such as entryways, and for areas that accumulate grease and moisture such and bathrooms and kitchens. This finish is also commonly used on woodwork applications (doors, frames, baseboards, windows, wood trim, etc.).
-High-gloss: This is the most shiny of the finishes. A surface with this finish feels almost glassy and a light shined directly onto the surface will form a halo in the shape of the light source. This finish is primarily used in decorative applications.
A brief warning about finishes: The higher the gloss in the finish the more difficult it is to touch up painting errors, and the higher the gloss the more pronounced imperfections in the surface will appear. In short, select the luster of your finish carefully and be prepared to spend more time and take more care when applying paint with glossy finishes.
To determine the amount of paint you will need, you should estimate the square footage of the area you wish to cover. Also, be sure to account for multiple coats of paint. For example, if you want to paint all of the walls and the ceiling of a 12-foot by 15-foot dining room with an 8-foot ceiling, you will need:
2 walls at 12 feet wide by 8 feet high: 192 square feet
2 walls at 15 feet wide by 8 feet high: 240 square feet
1 ceiling at 12 feet by 15 feet: 180 square feet
TOTAL: 612 square feet
The amount of wall coverage is usually listed on the paint can in square feet. You can also simply measure the dimensions of each room (estimating is ok) and give those dimensions to someone at the store. They will be able to help you determine the amount of paint you need. REMEMBER to tell them how many coats of paint as well.
Once you have selected your colors and textures you must prepare your surfaces and surroundings for painting. I recommend that you only plan to paint one room at a time. If you do not have much experience with house painting you may find that the work takes longer than you anticipate.
You should first remove all items from the walls. This includes light switch plates and receptacle plates.
If you plan to paint these, place them on a board or other non-stick (avoid paper and cardboard) surface and brush or spray them separately. Also be sure to take out all nails and picture hangers.
Next, remove any moveable furniture from the room. The more space you have the easier it will be to work. If some items cannot be easily removed from the room, then move them to the center or the opposite end of the room and cover them with a heavy sheet or dropcloth (these can be purchased at any paint store). Be careful if you have to move furniture within the room while painting. Remove area rugs also if possible. Then cover the remaining floor with dropcloths. Some wall or ceiling fixtures may not be removable. You can cover them with newspaper, but be sure that the fixture is off and there is no exposed wiring that can ignite the paper. Newspaper is also good to cover railings when painting halls and stairways.
Now it is time to prepare the surfaces for painting. You will need some wood putty, spackling compound, sandpaper (0/0 or wall grade), two spackling knives, and a putty knife. You will use the spackling compound to repair holes in the wall, and the putty for repair to the wood surfaces. Locate all of the holes or small dents in the wall in need of repair and apply a thin coat of spackle to them. Use one spackling knife to remove the spackle from the can and hold it, and use the other knife to apply the spackle to the wall. You may use your index finger to apply spackling compound to inside corners and against wood trim. The compound is water-soluble so it will wash off easily. Use a damp lint-free cloth to wipe excess spackling compound from around woodwork and in areas where sanding may be difficult. To repair nail pops in drywall simply tap the pop down with a hammer until it makes a small dent, and fill the dent with spackle.
You may also want to make repairs to your woodwork at this time as well. Putty is used to fix small chips and nail holes only, so don't try to use it to repair large areas of damaged wood. Scoop out a small amount using the putty knife and work the putty into a ball with your hand. Press the putty into the hole or crack with you thumb and wipe off the excess. Many putty compounds contain a mineral oil base so you may need to get a hand cleaner from a hardware store to wash the putty off of your hands.
Do not leave any excess putty on the surfaces you are repairing. You can paint over most putty immediately after application, although it will not harden for about a day.
Allow at least an hour after your spackle application before sanding the walls. DO NOT sand over wet spackle. Be sure that you sand the edges and surface of the spackle so that it is smooth with the wall. Be careful not to sand to hard and gouge the spackled surface. Make certain that you dust all surfaces to be painted, especially along corners and edges where the dust from sanding has gathered.
Now, you are ready to paint the room. The general procedure you should follow in order of areas to be painted is: (1) ceiling trim, (2) ceiling, (3) wall trim, (4) walls, (5) woodwork. If you are using a sprayer you will want to use newspaper or brown wrapping paper and masking tape to protect windows and other exposed surfaces from drifting paint mist. Also, if you are using a sprayer you probably will not need to pre-paint any trim, except for areas where the sprayer mist cannot reach. If you are using a brush and roller, then continue with the following procedure.
Begin by painting a strip about 6 inches wide around the perimeter of the ceiling and around any ceiling fixtures. This will help you to avoid hitting these areas with the roller. If you are applying a coat of flat or satin paint then you can do all of the ceiling trim before rolling. However, if you are applying a more glossy finish you will need to roll the ceiling area immediately after brushing about a three to six-foot section of trim. This is necessary to prevent visible overlaps and peeling as the paint dries.
When you roll take smooth, even strokes, and finish rolling in the same direction each time. Be careful not to ‘load up' the roller too much because this will cause excessive dripping and may make the roller harder to control. If any paint drips onto the walls you can quickly brush it out or wipe it with a dry cloth.
Once the ceiling is finished you can continue on to the walls in the same manner. If you are planning on painting the woodwork later, you may use the flat wall paint as a primer for these areas. Be sure to use a brush to apply paint to any woodwork because the roller will leave an uneven texture that will become pronounced when you apply a more glossy second coat. If you are using a sprayer it is ok to spray the primer on to the woodwork. Later, when you apply the finish coat on the woodwork, use a brush and apply the paint in the direction of the wood grain or lengthwise along the piece. Be sure to apply an even coat of paint and take all of your finishing strokes in the same direction.
When using a brush for any paint application do not try to jam the bristles into tight places. Instead, either use a smaller brush or start with a little extra paint on the bristles and brush it out evenly.
When you are ready to clean your brushes, roller, or sprayer use lukewarm water. Clean brushes and rollers as completely as you can. Dry brushes by shaking them and roll the roller against a pole to spin it dry. Wrap brush bristles in newspaper to help preserve them. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for cleaning your sprayer.
Repainting your home is a task that can be made much more enjoyable by following guidelines presented in this article, and you can produce a room finish that you can be proud of.
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