8 Simple Tips for Interior Painting

If you want to freshen up a room and give it an instant new look, besides buying a wooden beds for your bedroom or an elegant wood desks for your home office, one of the simplest ways to accomplish this is by painting. Yet many homeowners dread painting the interior of their home. However, if you know what to do and how to paint in an efficient manner, you’ll find that interior painting is not that bad. The next time you attempt a painting project in your home, be sure to follow these tips to make your project run more smoothly.

1. Don’t try to prep the area and paint it all in one day.
This will only leave you feeling rushed, which more times than not will lead to a bad paint job. Rather, set aside one day where you concentrate on prepping the space. If you don’t use the room much, this can even be done a few days ahead. To prepare a room for painting, you need to focus on taping the walls, laying any drop cloths, moving the furniture out of the way, and gathering all the painting supplies in the room.

2. Avoid painting over damaged walls.
Before you even try to paint a room, it is essential that you carefully look over the walls and fix any cracks or holes you find. Any cracks and holes you find can be easily fixed with a drywall kit and some sandpaper. This needs to be done at least a day before you paint so that the drywall plaster can dry. You also need to set aside some time to sand down the area as well.

3. Be sure that you choose the best brushes for the paint job.
Natural bristled brushes always work best for oil-based paints. However, for water-based or latex paint, synthetic bristled brushes will give you the most even coat. Foam rollers are the most efficient way to paint a larger space. You’ll also need smaller brushed to paint around the windows and trim.

4. Always use a primer to achieve a more professional look.
Not only does a primer make the paint go on so much more even, but it helps you avoid possible tainting from a previous wall color. You might even consider having your primer tinted to match your base coat color. Often times, this will help you avoid having to put a second coat of base color on the walls.

5. Be sure to use painter’s blue tape for any areas that you don’t want to get paint on, such as doorway frames, trim, and windows

The great thing about this tape is that when it’s applied to a smooth surface, it won’t allow the paint to seep into those areas you’re covering. After the paint dries, simply remove the tape. The nice thing is, you don’t have to worry about any of the paint coming off with it.

6. Have plenty of old rags for any mistakes that may happen.
It is an unavoidable part of painting that you will drop some paint on the trim or hit something with a brush that you shouldn’t.

7. Use even strokes when painting to get an even coat.
It’s essential to have plenty of natural light in the room so you can see where you are painting and also find any areas you might have missed.

8. Keep any leftover paint for future touch-ups or fixes.
If you only have a little paint left, rather than storing that large paint can, simply pour the leftover paint into a glass jar with a tight lid. The jar then needs to be labeled with the exact color of the paint, the date, and the room you used it in.

Interior painting projects are never as scary as they seem. Simply follow these easy tips. In no time at all, you’ll be well on your way to changing the decor of your home.