Painting - my step by step instructions!

I've worked in the apartment industry for years and have used lots of professional painters and while they are far quicker, most people can do a better job on their own, it just takes longer.

We have painted our entire house and I have to say, prep work (which most pros don't do at all) is IMO, the most important step!

Here's what we do:

Step one is to clean, clean, clean. I wash all the walls very carefully. I also wash the baseboards even if they are not being painted. Make sure the ceiling is clean (I generally vacuum it with a brush attachment, I only wash it if it is getting painted). Remove all vents and outlet overs and make sure the areas around them are clean as well. For vents I also vacuum into them a little. Lastly I vacuum or mop the floor. There is nothing worse then dust or cobwebs in the room adshering to the paint while it is wet, so thats why the whole room (not just the part getting painted) gets cleaned.

Step two is repairs. Fill all nail holes, use spackle for small dents, holes, nail pops, and blemishes or a quick drying mud for larger holes and blemishes (this would need to be smoothed and sanded, which would add a step though, so stick with spackle where possible). Also, its easy to miss things when you look, especially if they are not or eye level, so while washing the walls, you may want to make mental notes (or if there are a lot, start a written list) of all things to be fixed.

Step three is priming. This is completely optional but if the wall has never been painted, if you are doing a massive color change, or if there were a lot of areas that needed mud, you probably will want to prime. You can buy a dedicated primer (like Kilz or Kilz 2 or the equivalent of another brand) or if you are only priming for a color change, sometimes some $5 oops paint of a similar color is all you need. For example, we painted our white bedroom red, so I got a $5 gallon of oops paint of a different red that I used to prime with.

Step four is taping. How much you do depends on how good you are with cutting in (which is using a brush to go around all the edges. Personally I tape the ceiling line and anywhere that 2 different colors of walls meet but do not tape the baseboards and door trim. You can also practice your cutting in by doing the tops of your door trim (since it isn't visible to anyone under 7 ft tall standing in the room unless the door is visible from upstairs or something). If you are satisfied that the tops of your door trim looks nice and even, you don't need to tape the trim and baseboards, but if you aren't so sure, tape them. Be sure to use blue painters tape, not masking tape or some other tape.

Step 5 is cutting in. Do all edges, all corners, around the ceiling, around all doors, windows, trime, moulding, etc. Also do any spaces that are too small or narrow to easily roll, such as the area above a window if it is near the ceiling.

Step 6 is rolling. Pretty easy. Also, look closely ar the rollers before you buy. The thicker the knap, the more textured the wall will look, but the more paint it will use as well. I like my walls a bit texture-y rather than 100% smooth and flat looking, I think it looks better.

Here are a few hints that I find make the job easier. Buy good quality paint and good quality brushes. Good paint is less gloppy, goes on smooth, holds its texture, and covers properly. I like Behr Premium Plus the best. Also, stir it well right before painting. Good brushes make the cutting in so much easier. Keep a wet rag handy, then if you accidentally get paint on the ceiling or baseboards or whatever, you can wipe it right off. Cover the floor and any furniture you have in the room. Wherever possible, I don't use those extender things on the paint roller, I use a ladder and paint at and around eye level to do a better job. I also sit on the floor to paint down low. Immediately after painting while paint is wet, rip off the tape. If you let the paint dry the tape will be painted on. I cut in and take off the tape even before rolling. Wash your brushes, rollers, etc. immediately after using them so they are clean and in good shape if you need to touch anything up. I also roll as much as possible, even over and into the cut in areas because the roller gives a nicer, even texture than you get with the brush.

There you go. It sounds like a lot of work, but it really isn't. If it is a new house and is empty, if you got straight to it, you could probably do it all in 3-4 days (unless there is a lot of big holes/blemishes that need mudding and sanding, that part is time consuming). For example, I did my kitchen by myself and it only took about 7 hours start to finish, and I was stopping to fix lunch for my kid and stuff. The key in doing multiple areas is time management. Wash down the kitchen and while it dries, wash the next room, then come back and get started. DH and I did our dining room, family room, hall, living room, and stairway with vaulted ceilings in one weekend.