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Complete
Room
 Sequence for painting a room is from top to bottom: Ceiling first,
then walls, then windows, doors and finally baseboards.
Great
interior painting is as easy as one-two-three
There are many reasons why interior painting is the nation's
most popular home improvement project.
Painting can quickly and dramatically transform the appearance
of a room, an apartment or an entire home; it's personally
rewarding; it's inexpensive; and it's fun.
Moreover,
interior painting is easy. According to the Rohm and Haas
Paint Quality Institute, even novices can often get professional
painting results by following just three simple rules
Rule
number one: Prepare the surface properly
- Good
paint performance depends on good paint adhesion,
and
paint adheres best to surfaces that are clean and sound.
Before picking up a brush or roller, it's important
to make sure
the surface is "inviting" to the paint.
- Accumulated dirt, dust and grime should be removed from walls,
ceilings and trim with a detergent-water solution. After
washing, the surfaces should be thoroughly rinsed with
water and allowed to dry completely.
- Next,
a putty knife should be used to fill cracks, holes and
other surface imperfections with either spackling compound
or a quality acrylic caulk. If spackling is used, after
it is dry it should be sanded smooth and flush with the
surface; caulk should be smoothed and feathered as it
is applied.
- Finally,
if walls or ceilings have water stains or other serious
discol-oration, then before painting, it may be necessary
to coat them with a latex or oil-based stain-blocking
primer to prevent the stains from bleeding through the
new paint.
Rule number two: Use only top quality paint
- Compared
with ordinary interior paints, top quality finishes are
much easier to work with and offer superior long-term
performance.
- In
terms of application benefits, top quality paints won't
spatter or tend to show brush marks. And since they hide
better than ordinary paints, a single coat is often sufficient
to give a great looking paint job and save on time, labor
and cost.
- Top
quality interior paints also are tougher and more durable
than ordinary interior paints, according to experts at
the Paint Quality Institute. They resist fading, yellowing
and staining. And even if they do get spotted or stained,
discoloration can often be washed off without damaging
the finish.
Rule number three: Invest in quality tools
- To
get the most from top quality interior paint, it should
be applied with high quality brushes and rollers. Not
only will they apply the paint more evenly, but they will
also make the job more effortless
- The
best brushes tend to be well balanced, hold a lot of
paint and apply the paint evenly. Look for brushes with
tightly packed bristles and test them for springiness.
And be sure they don't fan too much.
- When
applying the more popular latex or water-based interior
paints, it's important to use brushes and rollers with
synthetic bristles and covers. They'll maintain the proper
stiffness and keep their shape regardless of the amount
of water they're exposed to.
Most oil-based or alkyd paints can be applied with brushes
and rollers made either of synthetic or natural materials.
Remember. interior painting can be as simple as one-two-three.
But there are no shortcuts. Good surface preparation,
top quality paint and high quality tools are all essential
to get the best
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Ceilings
 First cut in a 2 inch wide strip with a brush around the edges
of the ceiling. Switch to a roller (usually 3/8 or 1/2
inch
for flat paints) with a 4 - 5 ft extension pole.. Starting
at a corner, paint a section about 3 feet square. Use
a
zigzag pattern, paint a W" pattern on the ceiling, which
will disperse the paint on the roller evenly. Fill in
this
3 ft section without reloading the roller until you have
complete coverage of this section. Continue to cover the
ceiling, working across its shortest dimension in 3 foot
square sections, overlapping while paint is wet to minimize
lap marks.
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Walls
Starting
at the ceiling, cut in 2 inch strip with a brush. Continue
with the brush to cut in 2 inch strips in corners, around
windows, doors, cabinets and baseboards. Note - there
are
tools available at your paint retail outlets that help
make this "edging" job easier. Other "tricks" include
sliding the roller cover off the holder slightly so
the rollers
edge gets closer to ceiling, window or door.
 Switch to a roller and paint in a vertical direction using a
zigzag pattern. Push the roller upward on the first stroke,
then form an "M" pattern to evenly distribute the paint
on the roller. (working in 3 ft sections is recommended).
Fill in the "M" pattern without reloading the roller until
you have complete coverage of the area. Continue with this
approach until the wall is finished. Touching up spots you
missed when the paint is wet will help minimize sheen potential
sheen differences.
Most
manufacturers recommend that when you finish one wall, make
sure you have enough paint to complete the next entire wall.
Starting with another can of paint in the middle of a wall
can result in slightly different colors, which will be perceptible
side by side, but not wall to wall.
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Doors
 Open door wide to reach all parts to be covered. Protect hinges
and other metal with masking tape. Always start at the top.
If the door is paneled, paint the panels first, the horizontal
sections next and finally the vertical sections. If the
door opens into the room you are painting, use the same
color on the latch edge that you have used for the rest
of the door. If it opens into the next room, do not paint
the hinged edge. It should be the same color as the other
room
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Decks
Due
to the growing popularity of decks, there are now a wide
variety of Deck finishes - ranging from conventional penetrating
ones to new water based latex ones. In the alkyd category,
there are clears, semi transparent and opaque finishes.
In latex, semi transparent and opaque.
Many
homeowners are starting to use the semi transparent or opaque
to maximize the protection and duration of their deck coating.
 Begin by cleaning and power washing to remove dirt, mildew and
old coatings. If you are using a clear, penetrating coatings,
deck brightening products help restore a "new wood" look
to the wood.. Both sides of the railings should also be
powerwashed.
Brushes
and Rollers - Once the deck is clean and thoroughly dry,
start with a brush on the outside of the deck, on tops of
the railing and work your way down to the deck, then in
toward the house. Then switch to a roller for the deck,
starting at an outside edge and working toward the house.
Use even pressure on the roller on each board to give uniform
coverage and sheen.
Spraying
is another way to coat decks - faster than brush/roller,
but you must be sure to protect scrubs etc. from overspray.
Spray equipment can be rented at many paint stores,
home
centers or rental companies. Check with a paint professional
for tip size and pressure setting - which will depend
on
the type of coating you use. Spray railings first, unless
the railings are to be a different color than the deck.
Then the deck should be coated first. One trip for protecting
plants or other objects from overspray is to tape kraft
paper to the outside of the railing, which will catch the
overspray. When spraying the deck itself, spray evenly
over
a six foot square area, then go over that area with a 1/2
inch nap roller to spread coating evenly into deck.
Continue
this procedure in sections until deck is covered. Be sure
to use a large shield (such as 4 ft square piece of
cardboard)
when painting alongside the house to protect it from overspray.
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Windows
 Of all the woodwork in the home, windows suffer the most stress.
Constant exposure to temperature changes and condensation
means that windows often need to be painted more frequently
than doors, moldings and trim.
Unfortunately, the process involved in painting windows
can be confusing. To simplify things, the Rohm and Haas
Paint Quality Institute offers some window painting guidelines
that can save you time, money and aggravation.
Start by gathering the right tools for window painting:
- a
1 1/2" or 2" quality brush (use synthetic bristles if
you are painting with
- one
of the popular latex interior paints);
- a
cutting-in brush for precision work;
- a
paint shield or masking tape;
- a
screwdriver;
- enough
top quality paint to complete the job.
Remove locks, curtain hooks and other hardware from the
windows. This will speed your work and produce a better-looking
paint job.
Double-hung windows
For double-hung windows, follow this six-step procedure:
 1. Raise the bottom sash and lower the top sash most of the
way, so that there is a 6" overlap. Paint the bottom horizontal
section of the top sash, then the accessible vertical members.
Use care to keep paint from getting in between sash and
frame which can "glue" the window in place.
2. Nearly close the upper and lower sashes, then finish
painting the rest of the top sash.
3. Paint the entire bottom sash.
4. After allowing the sashes to dry, paint the window frame.
5. Close the windows and paint the exposed parts of the
runners. If your windows have sash cords, avoid getting
paint on them.
6. Paint the window sill and apron.
Casement windows
If
your home has any casement windows (windows that open out
or in, rather than up or down), use a different technique:
1. Open the windows and paint the top, side and bottom edges.
2. Paint the crossbars and frame casings.
3. Complete the job by painting the sill and apron.
Regardless of the type of windows you are painting, if you
have a steady hand, you can keep paint on the frame and
off the glass by using the cutting-in brush. But be sure
to overlap the paint onto the glass slightly to help seal
off moisture and drafts.
There are two other techniques for keeping paint off of
the window panes: holding up a paint shield as you work
or applying masking tape to the glass.
When using tape, press it firmly to the glass to keep excess
paint from creeping beneath it. (If stray specks of paint
get onto the glass, simply remove them with a razor blade.)
Remove the tape before the paint dries to a hard film.
Some final tips from the experts at the Paint Quality
Institute:
Before starting to paint, repair any damage to the window
and properly prepare the surface. This can be done by scraping
off old paint, then sanding, and priming any spots where
bare wood shows. (Get more advice on surface preparation
at your local paint retailer, hardware store or decorating
center.)
- Paint
windows early in the day so that they have enough time
to dry before you close them in the evening.
- Finish
painting each piece in the direction of the wood grain.
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