I Would like to share my interior house painting tips with you. So you can safely and competently go about painting your own home.
Preparation is the key
The proper preparation makes painting interior walls, ceiling and trim easier, It is the only way to ensure your painting job will come out looking good and be long- lasting. Move as many things out of the room as you can, remove paintings etc from walls, take down curtains and move all the heavy furniture into the middle of the room leaving an area around where you may have to cut in around light fittings etc. Patch any holes with zinsser ready patch, any medium-sized hole put fiberglass tape over the hole first then apply joint compound over the hole with a 3 inch putty knife. I will write a seperate article on bigger wall repairs. Scrape or sand any peeling paint. be aware that if your house was built before 1978 it may contain lead paint. So be careful and always wear a mask. Caulk any gaps in the ceiling, walls and trim and let it dry properly before painting four hours should be enough if the gaps aren’t to big. Using a pole sander and an extension pole sand the ceiling and walls to make the surface smoother and to make a key in the existing paint to give the new paint something to adhere to. Sand all trims to achieve the same. Wash the walls with water and a grease-cutting detergent then wash that off with clean water to remove all detergent. Never paint over mildew it will grow through the paint and will be very hard to fix. You can use a solution of three parts water and one part bleach scrub the affected area and rinse with clean water. Wear goggles and gloves when using bleach as it is not good for your skin and it will burn your eyes.
Should you use undercoat
Undercoat any bare areas and patches that you have made. Undercoat any glossy areas like doors trim etc. If the walls and ceilings have been painted under ten years ago with a good quality water based paint you won’t need to undercoat them. If you are unsure undercoat everything with a quality water based primer, Zinsser bulls eye zero primer is good it is a zero VOC fast drying primer. Try it with a small patch somewhere on a wall just to make sure it sticks it should but just check to be sure. If it has stuck in a few hours you are good to go if not you will need to look at an oil based primer. Normally the water based primers will work but just test to be sure.
Painting your room
Start by painting the ceiling. If your ceiling is a flat and untextured use a genuine ceiling paint if it is textured use a semi gloss with an anti mould in it. I would use a three inch purdy swan clearcut to cut in with but you may prefer a two and a half inch angled sash cutter bring your paint down the wall an inch or so and make sure you use enough paint to cover the ceiling and where the wall meets the ceiling you may need two coats. If there are any stains on the ceiling or walls use zinsser shellac primer. Use the appropriate roller for the job I would use a 3/8 nap for a flat ceiling and 1/2 inch for a textured ceiling ask the supplier where you bought your paint. Use a roller pole long enough to comfortably reach the ceiling. Use enough paint to go about six foot from one end of the ceiling to the other then angle away from that slightly and roll that out so there are no lines or bare spots. With your next roller full of paint go three inches away from that then angle that back into your last roller full go across the ceiling till you are about six foot all the way across then move to your next line of six foot measurements. Use plenty of paint just take your time and make sure you don’t leave any lines from your roller. Next it’s time to paint the walls decide on the color and the sheen of your walls. Color is a very personal choice I personally like whites and light creams but I’m conservative. Get a paint that is hard wearing and washable I like semi gloss but you could also go for low sheen or an eggshell finish. The water based paints are very good now you can go for a low VOC paint which is safe to use or if there are any family members that suffer from asthma or similar problems there are zero VOC paints which have no toxins in them and are environmentally friendly. To cut in to the ceiling to the wall use a good quality brush I use a purdy clearcut swan three inch swan. Your cutting in doesn’t have to be perfect on the first coat just don’t go up on the ceiling. Try to just touch the ceiling every few inches then on your next coat join them together just like joining the dots. Keep painting round your trim, I paint the edge where the wall meets the edge of the window or door frame it is much easier and you get a cleaner line because it’s not always a perfectly straight line down where the frame and the wall meet. If you have nice baseboards then you can paint them the same as your frames and doors if they aren’t anything special or you are trying to save time you can paint them in with the walls saving you time by not having to cut them in. After cutting in your walls it’s time to roll them. Half fill your roller tray then work the paint into the roller, using a roller pole start from the top then roll down to the bottom with your next roller full start three inches away then join them together rolling the paint out as you go use plenty of paint and go back over what you’ve rolled every few feet and continue on until you have finished the whole wall. Now it’s time to paint doors door frames and windows. Use a good quality acrylic enamel I use gloss I think it looks better and it is stronger and easier to clean. Acrylic enamel won’t yellow like the oil based paint. If you want to paint the edge of your frames paint them first then let it dry then use masking tape on the edges after you have painted your walls pull the masking tape off and you will have a straight line. I find that it is easier and quicker and looks good to paint just the face and internal edges. Paint one face at a time and work quickly, if you find that your paint is drying to quickly use floetrol a paint additive that will slow up the drying time. If your doors are panel doors paint the inside of the panels first then go around the outside raised section. If your doors have glass panes in them then I tape where the glass meets the door then use caulking to fill any gaps. When it is all dry get a snap blade utility knife and cut a straight line. If your baseboards come down to a hard surface wooden floors, tiles etc use masking tape where the baseboard meets the floor then caulk the gap. When it has dried use a utility knife to cut flush with the baseboard and you will have a nice straight line with no gap underneath. I hope these few tips will help you out. Take it easy, be safe and enjoy yourself. Thanks for reading John.
