When you paint a room yourself, you can get dramatic results on a modest budget. If you’ve never painted before, it’s no reason not to start. Take a look at these pre-paint tips to help you begin…before you start painting:
1. Empty the room. Professional painters recommend taking every piece of furniture out of the room. You have room to work, and you don’t stress about a drop cloth properly covering an antique table.
2. Cover the floor. Use good quality drop cloths (not thin, slippery plastic) to cover floors.
3. Remove doors, lights, outlets. It’s amazing how easily paint drops where you don’t want it. Learn from the pros and take the door off its hinges, remove the light fixture and electrical outlets, taking care to wrap each piece in bubble wrap with screws and other parts taped.
4. Clean and prepare your surfaces. Paint will not stick to dirty walls very well. 24 hours before you plan to paint, wash your walls with water and TSP (trisodium phosphate cleaner), which we sell here at Southside. Rinse well. Ceilings need to be dusted too – there are cobwebs you won’t see until you’re on a ladder with a roller or brush in hand.
5. Patch what needs patching. Spackle the holes using a utility or spackle knife, smooth over and allow to dry. Sand to make the patch flush with the wall.
6. Remember the primer. When you prime the walls, you will have a better surface to paint – and your paint color will look more true.
7. Use painter’s tape to protect baseboards and chair rails. A horizontal surface is especially vulnerable to paint splatters.
And your best pre-painting tip is to drop by Southside Building Center, where you’ll find everything you need: paint, primer, brushes, ladders, buckets, tape, TSP cleaner, caulk, and spackling. Plus, our staff can advise you on just what you need to make your next DIY project a success!