Paint Tips

Here are 7 beginning paint tips for interior house painting to get you started on the right track.

Paint Finishes

When choosing paint for the interior of your house, first you’ll pick a “finish”.  Some paint is shiny, some is flat and some is in between.  Shiny paint is called high gloss and the “in between” is called semi-gloss paint or eggshell.  High gloss paint wipes clean easier, but shows more fingerprints.  Most people choose a semi-gloss paint for interior walls.

Paint Colors

Next, choose your colors.  Make sure you look at the color samples in the room you’re going to paint.  Other paint colors in and near the room can change the way a color looks.  The lighting in a room can change what the color looks like, too.

Most paint stores and paint suppliers sell small quantities of paint (like a quart) so you can paint a little in the room and see if you like the color.  It’s nice to get an idea before painting the whole room and then hating it.

Paint one room at a time, especially if you’re using many different colors. Have your rollers, brushes, rags, drop cloths, tape and roller pans ready to go.

Cover Furniture

Before you paint, move all the furniture to the center of the room.  Cover it with a drop cloth or tarp to protect it from paint splatters.  Also put drop cloths on the floor, especially if you have carpet.   Have some rags handy for cleaning up spills, drips and drops.

Patch Walls

If you have any holes in the walls from nails or screws, patch those before you paint.  You may want to sand your patch down so it’s even with the wall.  Don’t sand too much.  You want to keep the wall texture the same as before, as much as possible.

Apply Paint Liberally

Mask off the bottom base trim, specifically anything that can be dripped on by the wall.  Apply paint liberally and roll it out top to bottom, always keeping a wet edge. The #1 mistake home owners make when painting their own houses is not applying enough paint.                                                                                                                       

Now get to work! 

Leave your comments and questions on the blog and we’ll answer you as soon as we can.  Check back soon for more paint tips!