If you're an enthusiastic do-it-yourselfer, you might want to try painting a room yourself rather than relying on experts. Yes, at Giron Brothers Painting, we understand that some weekend pioneers like to tackle home projects themselves. And, if (when?) things go wrong, you can always call us for assistance! Painting isn't the toughest of do-it-yourself projects, and you don't necessarily have to be an expert. Painting a room without a lot of trim, moldings, or built-ins can be tackled by an ambitious do-it-yourselfer. (For more difficult rooms or surfaces, we recommend you leave painting to the professionals!) Keep in mind that the more painting experience you have, the easier you'll find the work, and the better the results. Before you get started, we can point out that you will need a large dose of patience before, during, and after you paint. TOOLS YOU'LL NEED:
putty knife
rags
paper towels
sandpaper
drop cloth
scraper
paint tray
paint rollers
paint roller extension handle
paintbrushes
paint mixing sticks
sponges
MATERIALS YOU'LL NEED:
painters tape
drywall compound
fiberglass drywall tape
paint
HOW TO PREP A ROOM FOR PAINTING
We recommend you begin the day before by getting organized and everything ready to start the actual work. This means you start by clearing the furniture or, at a minimum, moving it into the center of the room and covering well with drop cloths. You want to have clear and easy access to all the surfaces you will be painting. Cover floors and surfaces you're not painting with drop cloths. Gather all of your tools and in one section of the room where you won't be tripping over them. Evaluate the surfaces you will be painting and scrape any flaking paint - as long as it's not lead paint. Lead paint must be removed using special consideration for health reasons, and you can read more about that here: Houselogic.com If you plan on painting trim work or other painted wood surfaces, you will need to sand the surfaces using 400+ sandpaper lightly. Glossy surfaces need light sanding followed by a primer-sealer to cover high-gloss enamel paints before repainting. Before you start painting;
fix any dents or cracks in the walls by patching them with spackling or drywall compound. For larger imperfections, you will probably need to cut away some of the drywall to patch the surface. Keep in mind that if you're cutting out drywall, to repair it, you might need to cut until you reach a stud. Otherwise, you have nothing to which you can attach the new drywall piece. Carefully patch following manufacturer's instructions, and allow the patches to dry. Once dry, you should sand until smooth and use a lightly damp sponge to remove any dust off before you begin painting. Using painter's tape, mask around baseboards, any ceiling moldings or edges, and door frames. Be sure to apply the tape carefully and run your finger or scrape tool along the edge of the tape to ensure no paint seeps underneath. Quality painter's tape is a good investment. Remove all outlet and light switch covers and store screws safely in baggies which are well marked.
PREP YOUR MATERIALS: If you have your paint already, hopefully, you have the right paint brush for the paint type. Any paint retailer can advise you on the best brush or rollers for your paint. And, yes. There is a big difference in quality which means it can make a big difference in the final results of your paint job.
Make sure you have all the tools and materials you will need close at hand when you're mixing your paint in preparation to begin painting. Mix your paint frequently while working because some pigment settling will occur.
Before you begin, remember to always work from top to bottom to avoid drips. Always start at the top of the room you are painting which means if you plan on painting the ceiling as well, start with the ceiling and work your way down the walls. Leaving trim and baseboards for last allows you to clean up any splatters of paint on them.
BRUSHES, ROLLERS, & PAINTING: Plan on using brushes for smaller areas trim, baseboards, or nooks and rollers for larger areas like walls. It's a good idea to invest in a few sizes of brushes. Trim brushes tend to be two to three inches wide with a straight edge while wall brushes are three to four inches wide. If you need to reach into a corner, sash brushes are angled and about 1 1/2 inches wides making it easier to get into corners, edges, or detailed/ornate surfaces. Rollers are ideal for broader open surfaces like walls or smooth doors. Keep in mind that they're slightly more difficult to control than brushes and splatters are a distinct possibility! Make sure you protect surrounding surfaces, protect your eyes, and cover your hair. To paint higher surfaces like a ceiling, just attach an extension pole to the paint roller. Dipping the roller into the paint can be a little trickier than dipping a brush into a paint can. You will get better at it with practice, but remember not to overload the roller with paint in the paint well of your tray. Always roll the roller in the paint tray before pulling it out full of paint! To paint a wall using a roller, apply the paint in the shape of a W in a space about three to four feet square or whatever is manageable for you and re-roll the area overlapping the W pattern until you fill in the W as you roll and repeat. A 12-inch roller is a good size for wall painting. HOW TO PAINT THE TRIM
The last thing to do in a room is to paint the trim and any moldings. Once the wall paint is completely dry (it must be completely dry!), slowly remove the painter's tape covering the trim. Pull evenly to be sure you don't pull away any fresh paint. Once again, ensure the walls are dry before you begin taping the walls to paint the trim. This means you're doing the opposite of what you did to paint the walls: you're taping the walls to paint the trim.
Work your way from top to bottom. If there's any trim near the ceiling, start there and work your way down the wall toward the baseboards.
Use a sash brush where necessary to make it easier to cut into corners, nooks, or narrow trims. Use a wider brush for baseboards.
When you're working with trims and baseboards, it's a good idea to use as few brushstrokes as possible to avoid streaks.
Once it's all dry, and you've applied a second coat of paint if needed, carefully remove the tape.
HOW TO CLEAN PAINTING BRUSHES
Congratulations!
You've just painted a room. But, you're not done yet. Cleaning up is almost as important as prepping before you begin. If you invested in high-quality brushes, it's all the more critical that you carefully clean and store the brushes.
You will need to clean the brushes thoroughly with water (for water-soluble paints) or paint solvent (for oil paint). Hanging them to drip dry is also important so that you don't bend the bristles and ruin them. Remember that paint solvent is highly flammable and it's critically important to follow the manufacturer's instructions for proper disposal and storage in your home. Too many do-it-yourselfers underestimate the dangers of working with solvents and oil paint and inadvertently start fires.
If you have any questions about painting a room or would like to work with an expert painting contractor in Southwest Florida, at Giron Brothers Painting we have over 30 Years Experience working with customers all around Naples FL, Fort Myer FL and Cape Coral FL and other surrounding communities. Contact us at (239) 777-1464 or click here to visit our homepage.
Summary: First you have to clean the surfaces and remove any furniture, wall hangings, light switches and outlet covers, and anything that might be in the way, any big furnitures like the bed-frame, sofas, tables, etc. move them to the middle of the room, then cover all furniture with places and places drop cloths on the floors, prime any areas that need priming in the walls or in the trim repair any defects on the walls and trim work, like holes or cracks on the wood trim, also caulk where needed, start painting with the ceilings first to prevent any drips on the walls with a roller, continue with walls using a brush and a roller, apply some painter’s tape along the wall-trim edges to get better lines on the walls and finish painting the trim last to avoid any roller or brush splatter. To finish the job clean the brushes and rollers, and remove all plastic & drop cloths and put all furniture back to its place. Make sure the paint has dried all throughout the room for hanging pictures back to place and installing switch and outlet covers.
