Here is a complete guide to painting the interior of your home like a professional:
Note: You can click on each step to get a more in-depth, thorough, and comprehensive guide.
- Preparation:
- Remove all furniture and decor items from the room.
- Clean the walls and ceiling thoroughly to remove any dirt or grease.
- Fill any cracks, holes or dents in the walls using spackling paste.
- Sand down rough spots or drips.
- Cover the floor and any remaining furniture with drop cloths.
- Tape off baseboards, crown molding, and any other areas you don’t want to paint.
- Paint Selection:
- Choose high-quality paint that’s suitable for your wall type.
- Pick a color that complements your furniture, flooring, and decor.
- Consider the room’s lighting and use paint samples to determine the final color.
- Priming:
- Apply a layer of the adequate primer to the walls, ceiling, and any other surfaces that may need priming. (Note: Not all surfaces require priming. Determining where you don’t need primer will save you money!)
- Allow the primer to dry completely.
- Painting:
- Pour the paint into a paint tray or bucket. Make sure the paint is not dirty, mix before pouring to ensure consistency.
- Load your paintbrush or roller with paint.
- Start painting at the top of the walls and work your way down.
- Paint in the direction of the grain of the wall or use a W-shaped pattern to avoid drips.
- Paint the trim and molding last.
- Allow the first coat to dry completely.
- Apply a second coat if needed.
- Clean-Up:
- Clean up your paintbrushes and rollers.
- Remove the tape and drop cloths. (Do not allow tape to sit on surfaces for too long as that may rip off the paint)
- Replace the furniture and decor items.
- Enjoy your freshly painted interior!