How to paint walls

Anybody can paint a wall. The trick is to do it efficiently. It is the cheapest and quickest way to update your decor, or just try to make it presentable. In fact, sometimes it is just easier to paint then to clean. If your landlord's a stickler and there's stains on the walls from that party last month, just spot coating them won't get your deposit back...you're gonna havta paint the whole wall.

There are 2 methods of painting,- the official"RIGHT" way, which you should always use if you own your place, or are planning to stay for more than a year. There is also the "CHEATERS" way which is perfectly appropriate for dorms, squats, stage, and cheap apartments. Both ways look similar, but the proper way is smoother, lasts longer and will save you maintenance in the future. In this Instructable I am putting in all the proper steps and will put in italics any parts that could be skipped if you're in a cutting corners mood.

Step 1 Choosing your paint

How much do you need? One gallon of average quality paint will do one coat on approximately 400 square feet.
Here are two links that can help you find out how much paint to buy.
benjaminmoore.com
paintquality.com
What finish do you need? A shiny finish is easier to clean dirt off of, but will show more imperfections. A flat (or non shiny finish) will cover up wall problems better, but is hard to get clean. The average wall is painted with an eggshell finish, sorta in the middle. Woodwork is commonly painted with a high gloss, which is very shiny. From flattest to shiniest the types are: flat, eggshell, satin, semigloss, high gloss, and enamel.
Primer? Quality? If you are making a color change you will need several coats of paint. A higher quality paint will cover better, meaning less coats. Primer is useful as a first coat when you are making a severe color change. It comes in white but can be tinted. Primer is also a good idea if your wall is in bad shape to help your paint adhere and last longer.
What type of paint? For indoor walls, there is no reason to use oil base paints. water based paint, i.e. latex or acrylic is fine. They are now marketing "greener" versions, that claim lower odor and better for environment . I have been told they don't work as well, as well as costing more. A more environtmentally concsious choice is to acquire "recycled paint" from your local Restore, or recycle outlets.

Comments

[Athrunxala]

I ended up contacting someone about painting leads. I've tried painting in the past, I ended up getting more paint on myself and the floor then I did the wall. I'll gladly leave the painting to the professionals. Great color choice by the way.

[nevinleiby]

My advice: 1) Paint selection. If painting all of the walls one particular color, pick out your favorite color. Then go at least one shade lighter. Consider a second. A brighter room looks larger and the color is usually more than noticeable. Buy quality paint. 2) Use a handle on the paint roller. Snag the handle from the broom. Place the paint tray on the floor, directly in front of you, about 4" from the wall. Practice first - the trick is to get only a little bit of paint on the roller, then roll it out a few times in the tray. Buy quality paint - it tends to be less runny/thin and will not drip nearly as easily. Pause when lifting the roller up from the tray. You can twirl the roller, but that is usually unnecessary. Start at the top and roll straight down, then back up to the top, forming a very large N. Personally, I work left to right, so it would be horizontally flipped N. Roll the entire wall vertically - you will get a much nicer product than using a ladder, etc, etc, etc. And you'll be no more likely to dump the paint than standing on a ladder with a paint tray 4' off the floor, going up, down, etc, etc, etc.

[nevinleiby]

btw..with the handle, I stand about 3 - 4 foot away from the wall, about 2' away from the paint tray. Don't overfill the paint tray (you won't slosh it all over the place) and you can just slide the tray across the floor with your opposite foot - especially on wooden floors or non-shaggy carpets.

3) if you do drip anything, relax. Immediately and carefully set down your roller in your paint tray (near the top so it doesn't "dip" into the paint at the bottom. Grab a ~3 bucket of water (should be kept handy anyway) with a sponge or washcloth. Sponge up the excess and wash it out in the sink. Then wet the carpet were the paint was, then sponge (pushing it down into the carpet) to get it out. Wring out, wash in the bucket, apply more water, sponge, wash, apply. Repeat 3-5 times until it all comes out. Just don't drop your paint bucket or paint tray...that stinks. I've gotten up lots of little accidents up without any issue. Mostly because I probably should have not fallen behind on my sleeping ;-).

4) Paint buckets and paint trays demonstrate potential. Keep them as low as possible when they have ANY paint in them. Keep both opened and unopened paint buckets on the floor. They will never fall if they are on the floor to begin with. A (former) employee never observed this simple rule of potential energy...I lost at least 1 or 2 carpets (costing me about $1500-$2000) and a few spirit levels before....=(

I have used this technique to paint many many rooms in our office building.

[chalky]

Nice job! im a painter and decorator by trade and i can not stress enough that preparation is the key to making a good job an excellent job! Also one of the most valuable materials we use is decorators caulking for when you have rough edges between surfaces,a small bead of caulk hides a multitude of sins and allows your paint to flow in a straight line not sink in the indentations of the rough edge! Once you get the hang of it you will not need to use masking tape,but if you do use it you must remember to remove it immediately otherwise as stated the paint will creep under the tape! Anyway if any budding P&D's out there follow this ibbl'e they wont go far wrong. ps/thats a mighty fine cat you got there by the way:)

[Anima! X]

i forgot about the caulking trick, i'll add it, thanx. your advice though, -would you recommend painting the caulk the color of the wall or trim, and under what circumstances? also you mention decorators caulk... does that come in colors? -ta