Basic interior painting question- help me please :)?

Question

I've never painted so here goes....

I've got all my supplies and paint from Home Depot. They made sure I had the correct brushes and paint.

Any tips I should know? I just taped everything off. I have to pull off the outlets next. I cut around the edges/trim first, correct? Then wait for that to dry and use the roller? How long do I have to wait before I start rolling after I paint around the edges?

Also, my base boards are painted off white...to touch up any mess ups, do I use a brush to cover up my errors or do I use a mini roller to make it nice and smooth? I don't want it to be obv ious that I touched up the trim.

Thanks for the hlelp!

Answer 1

The first thing you need to do is check to see how many gallons of paint you bought. If you bought more than one, I suggest you get a big bucket and mix all the gallons together (they call this 'boxing' the paint) and then pour them back into the gallon containers. This will ensure that any color differences between the cans of paint will be eliminated when you go from one gallon to another. If you need to take a break during painting, stop at an inside corner of the room. Stopping in the middle of the wall will cause the one area of paint to not blend with the next when you start painting.

Be sure you repair any holes, etc. with spackling paste and sand them smooth. I recommend using a primer on the walls first to get a nice smooth topcoat. If the walls are a satin or gloss finish, you will need to sand them first in order for the new paint to stick.

When you start to paint, cut in at the ceiling and the baseboard first. Only go about 3 feet along each. Then roll that section. Once you've done that, continue along until you get to the end of the wall. Don't wait for the edges to dry before rolling or they won't blend. As soon as you finished the wall, start to remove the painter's tape. You want to do this before the paint dries or you may start to remove the dried paint from the wall. When removing, peel the tape away from the finished wall at a 90 degree angle.

Answer 2

Sounds like you've got a good start, DO NOT wait until the brush cuts dry however. Work areas easy enough to manage so that you can roll the brush cuts before they set and dry.

If you mask properly you shouldn't have any oops on the molding, and yes if you want to use a roller to the molding/ masked off, do so, but you should be using more than just tape there, especially to protect any flooring. You can use the paper with tape applied or cheap drops, and roll right to the masking.

Very important also is to remove the masking asap after painting, NOT LET IT DRY. Also I suggest NOT removing the tape as if a zipper. I pull upwards toward the line and gently separate the paint and masking. If you allow it to dry you'll have to score the line.

With PREP being as important as the job, OOOPS shouldn't be an issue

Steven Wolf

Answer 3

First, I hope you got Behr paint...good stuff.
Mist your roller with water before use to help NOT soak up all the water out of your first rolls of paint.
Use your roller and do your edges when your paint is still wet, it blends better. Also, for touch ups, if you did your walls with a roller, use the trim roller for an even finish, otherwise, the brush can make a smoother spot, causing the area to be more noticeable and the show more when light hits it. (I speak from experience).
If you got Behr, make sure you are using the Purdy or Performance Select brush series or you are apt to have streaks where you use the brush.
When taking your tape off, you may want to go along the edge with a sharp razor first, or if you can, take off the tape right when done painting, when it is still wet, for easier and nicer performance.
Good luck!

Answer 4

do not wait for the areas that you cut in to dry , it will not blend with the rest if you do

always keep a wet edge while painting...never stop until your done with a full wall

do the cut-ins then go right into rolling


touch up the trim with a small brush and you shouldnt be able to tell it was touched up

good luck

B.

Answer 5

I think this DIYNetwork article will help with what you need:

http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/home_improvement/article/0,2037,DIY_13954_5022171,00.html

The actual painting is the easy and fast part. Most of the work is in the preparation - make sure that you spend enough time in filling holes, masking, etc. and you will be much happier with the result.

Remember - paint will not hide *any* flaws in your walls. In fact, it may highlight them, so make sure you spend enough time fixing them before you start putting on the paint.

For your base boards, you can use a brush to touch them up - just make sure to use a very nice brush (i.e. one of the expensive ones) and you will be less likely to see brush strokes when you are done. See this previous answer for getting a good finish when painting baseboards:

http://sg.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20060908124613AAnI6yk

Good luck on your project.

Answer 6

Sand down with coarse paper until all the flaking paint has gone. Apply two coats of oil based undercoat. Sand down with fine paper after 2 days and apply top coat. If marks still can be seen leave for a week then use 400 wet or dry paper with soap and water.

Answer 7

Start rolling right away, work your way out from the center. By the time you get to the cut in stuff, it'll be dry. You've got it all figured out. Go for it have fun.