Interior House Painting Tips; How To Paint A Room

Whether you're thinking about selling your house or just renovating your kitchen, you're going to want to freshen things up a bit. Maybe your color scheme is caught in the 70's, or your kids have wrecked havoc on your walls. Whatever the case, a fresh coat of paint offers the most dramatic difference in appearance for a minimal amount of effort and expense.

A lot of people decide to use a professional painting service, but depending on the size of the job, that can be pretty expensive. The good news is that you can get the same great results by doing it yourself, and at a fraction of the cost. Go ahead and give it a try. You just might surprise yourself!

Before you open a single paint can, prepare the room for painting. Clear the room, wash the walls and do all of your masking before you even think about dipping that brush into the paint.

This is the most important step in interior house painting, and will save you a lot of time and headaches in the end. The prep work is the most tedious part of interior house painting, but if you want professional results, you have to do what the pros do.

Start by cutting in. With a small brush, corner tool, or foam applicator, make a two or three inch wide line of paint all the way around the room where the ceiling meets the walls. Also cut in at the corners of the room where walls meet, as well as around the trim. This helps to ensure that you don't miss any spots in the corners. It also keeps you from scraping the wall with a roller while trying to get into a corner.

Once the cutting in is done, you're ready to start the fun part. Carefully load your roller with paint. Make sure it's covered completely, then roll it back and forth in the dry part of the pan to get off the excess. Excess paint makes drips, and drips make more work!

Paint a three to four square foot section at a time. Start by making a zig-zag pattern in the shape of a "W". Then go back over the zig-zag to spread the paint evenly and smoothly. Once you're satisfied that you have good coverage, move over and start a new section in the same way. After you have a few sections done, roll back over them to smooth out the overlaps, and clean up any drips or sags. Continue like this until you've covered the room.

Making A Color Change- If you're making a dramatic change in color, especially if you're going from a dark paint color to a lighter one, you'll need a coat or two of primer. For the best results, buy a good brand, and use two coats if need be.

The Best Interior House Paint- As a rule, you should buy the best brand you can afford. Less expensive paints can get the job done and look just as good as the more expensive interior house paints, but it may take more preparation and more coats to achieve good results.

Choose Latex Interior House Paint- Latex goes on more smoothly than other types of paint, with better coverage and much less odor. It also cleans up much easier when you're done.

Painting A Kitchen- If you're doing a kitchen makeover, flat and egg shell finishes look nice, but semi-gloss is much easier to clean.

Painting A Bathroom- When remodeling a bathroom, read paint labels. Some types of paint are specifically made to be mold and mildew resistant. These are perfect for bathrooms and other wet areas.

Work From Top To Bottom- Working from the top down helps you clean up drips as you go.

Take it one step at a time, and do each step thoroughly.  If you prepare the walls properly, and follow this guide, you'll get the results of  a professional painting service at a fraction of the price.