Project Guide
Painting interior walls Difficulty
Experience/Time Novice: 60 min. Experienced: 45 min. Pro: 30 min. Adding paint to your walls can dramatically change the look and feel of your home. It’s also an inexpensive way to transform an ordinary room into something extraordinary. But first you must start with the basics. Preparing your walls with primer before you paint is the best way to ensure a lasting finish. Priming not only adds to the durability of the paint job it also saves you time, especially if you have the primer tinted the same color as the finish coat. Tinting primer improves the color of your paint and reduces the number of coats needed to achieve the truest color or hue. Primer is formulated to adhere to a variety of surfaces and seals them to prevent stains and discoloration from bleeding through the final coat. The finish coat sticks more effectively to a primed surface than it does to plaster, wood or an earlier coat of paint.
Preparation: • Remove everything possible from the walls, including all HVAC registers or grilles and electrical faceplates. • Cover the floor with plastic sheeting or a canvas dropcloth. • Careful masking at each stage will allow you to work quickly and freely, saving time in the long run Safety: • Wear plastic safety glasses or goggles to protect your eyes from flying particles and paint droplets. • Wear appropriate gloves when using solvents, sanding or scraping. • Be sure the space you are painting is adequately ventilated. If the paint fumes are strong you should consider wearing a respirator. Savings: • Although priming is vital to a lasting finish and a great-looking room, there are also sound economic reasons for a good priming job. If you spend $30 for a gallon of designer paint, you don’t want to see stains or discoloration bleeding through because you didn’t take time to prime and seal the wall.
Before you go to the store Use our online paint calculator to help you figure out how much paint you’ll need.
What you will need Tools: Brushes Rollers Spray Bottle Extension Pole 5-gallon paint bucket with roller grid Small paint bucket Latex paint respirator Drop Cloth Rag Ladder (if necessary) Eye Protection Putty Knife Materials: Primer & stain blocker Wall repair materials Blue painter’s masking tape 120-grit sandpaper High-quality latex paint
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Project Guide
Painting interior walls Steps Steps 1-3 of 14 Step One Fix the dings Examine all the surfaces, then carefully repair and sand any cracks, holes, or dents before you apply any paint.
Step Two Tint the primer Most primers don’t require tinting, but if you’re changing the finish color of a room, or using deep, saturated colors, then tinting the primer can help achieve better color consistency and coverage for your finish coat. Follow the paint manufacturer’s recommendations or ask a salesperson if it will help to tint the primer when you’re getting your paint mixed.
Step Three Mask the room Determine the order for painting the room. Paint last the areas that are likely to get dripped on. Prime (and paint) the ceiling first, walls second, and trim last. If you plan to prime the trim with a different tint than you will use on the walls, mask the trim first. Mask the top of the walls if you are painting the ceiling; mask the ceiling and trim if you’re starting with the walls.
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Painting interior walls Steps Steps 4-6 of 14 Step Four Spot prime If using latex, dip the brush in water to help it absorb the primer. If using alkyd, dip the brush in mineral spirits. Brush out the liquid on a piece of cardboard to remove loose bristles. Brush primer on areas of walls and trim that need special attention: patches in drywall and plaster, areas of bare wood exposed by scraping and sanding, and any spots treated with stain blocker.
Step Five Prime the roller It’s hard for a dry roller to absorb primer or paint, so “prime” the roller before you put it in the primer or paint. If the primer is latex, spritz the roller with a garden mister and squeeze off the excess water. Use mineral spirits for alkyd primer. Run the roller over the paint grid or roller pan several times to get an even amount of primer on the roller cover.
Step Six Prime the ceiling Start on the short side of the room and “cut in” the edges about 2 inches wide and about 5 feet long along the edge of the ceiling. Then, wearing safety goggles and an old cap, roll paint onto the ceiling, working the roller into the cut-in area to remove as many brush marks as possible. Roll with diagonal strokes and move from the edge toward the middle of the room. Continue cutting in and rolling until you’re finished.
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Painting interior walls Steps Steps 7-9 of 14 Step Seven Cut in a section of wall Wait until the ceiling dries and mask it off with blue painter’s masking tape. Mask off the trim if you haven’t already done so. Starting in a corner, prime along about 5 feet of trim, 5 feet of ceiling, and from top to bottom of the corner.
Step Eight Prime the walls To minimize the wall area that will have a brushstroke texture, run the roller over the strips you’ve primed during the cutting stage, getting as close as possible to the masked trim, ceiling, or adjacent wall.
Step Nine Begin rolling at the top section of the wall along the cut in strip Work to the bottom in a series of Ws, as shown here, to avoid creating a visible pattern of vertical passes. Move along the wall in 3- to 5-foot sections, cutting in and rolling until the job is done. Work in sections small enough to cover with a single load of the roller, and always roll up on the first stroke. The key is to overlap areas of wet paint.
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Painting interior walls Steps Steps 10-12 of 14 Step Ten Sand the walls if necessary Wait until the primer is thoroughly dry and sand lightly with 120-grit sandpaper. Tear a piece of sandpaper in fourths, and then fold one of the quarters in thirds. Whisk the paper along the wall, removing bumps and other high spots. When the paper loads with paint dust, refold it to reveal a fresh face, and continue. Once you’ve finished, wipe the wall with a damp rag to remove dust and debris.
Step Eleven Roll the ceiling with the finish color When the primer is dry, mask around the ceiling. After cutting in a section, start rolling. Protect your eyes with safety goggles and wear an old cap. A 5-gallon bucket with a roller grid requires filling less often and is less likely to tip than a paint tray. Use a relatively dry roller to reduce spattering. Roll diagonally, as you did to prime, to avoid creating visible rows across the ceiling. Extension poles allow you to reach more area without leaning dangerously from a ladder.
Step Twelve Cut in the walls After you’ve painted the ceiling, remove the tape from the top of the walls and allow the ceiling to dry thoroughly. Then mask off the ceiling and trim to paint the walls. Start painting in a corner and cut in a few feet along the ceiling, a few feet along the baseboard, and the starting corner.
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Painting interior walls Steps Steps 13-14 of 14 Step Thirteen Roll close to the wall perimeter The texture of brushed areas is different from rolled areas. Paint into the freshly cut-in areas with a roller, removing as much of the brush-stroke texture as possible. Cover as much of the cut-in as you can without getting paint on other surfaces. Starting with an up stroke, work from the ceiling toward the baseboard, rolling on large Wshape strokes. Back roll with a light load of paint to smooth things out.
Step Fourteen Prime and paint the trim Remove the masking for the walls, allow the paint to dry thoroughly, and mask off for the trim. Control dripping by pouring the trim paint into a small bucket and dip the brush about halfway into the paint. Tap the brush against the sides (instead of scraping it around the rim) to remove excess paint in the tip of the brush; this will leave paint in the body of the brush.
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