Few things breathe new life into a home like a fresh coat of paint. But you’d be surprised how many paint jobs go wrong because the homeowner didn’t take the time to prep a room. That little investment of time will result in a professional finish, fewer accidents, and less mess. Follow these steps to prep a room for painting.
Clear Space
Your work area should be free of clutter so you can maneuver safely and efficiently and avoid getting paint on furnishings. You also want enough room to set up a workstation containing all your supplies. We’ll get to that later.
Here’s a checklist:
- Remove fragile items like vases, knick-knacks, picture frames, and anything else that can break or be easily damaged.
- Move lighter furnishings to another room. This includes end tables, chairs, small bookcases, throw rugs, lamps, and other items that you can safely move without injuring yourself or damaging them.
- Push larger furniture into the center of the room and away from walls and other surfaces that you will be painting. Amazon, Home Depot, Lowes, and even major retailers like Walmart and Target sell casters that you can place under the feet of large furniture and let you slide them effortlessly across the floor without damaging wood, tile or carpet.
Cover Furniture and Floors
Cover whatever remains in the room. Sure, you may have already scooted your large furnishings to the center. And you may be telling yourself that you don’t need drop cloths because you’ll be extra careful and neat. But painting is messy, and the consequences of not protecting your expensive furnishings are major.
You don’t want to risk getting paint splatter on furniture or accidentally bumping wood or upholstery with a paint brush or roller. So get some drop cloths and cover, cover, cover.
We produced an excellent guide on drop cloths that explains what you need and how to use them, but here are the basics:
Canvas drop cloths are popular with professionals. They are durable, reusable, they don’t slide around, and they don’t allow paint to seep through. We recommend using them on floors in your work area.
Plastic drop cloths are generally disposable and come in different thicknesses. They are not ideal for floors because even the heavier gauges slide around under foot. We recommend using lighter gauge plastic clothes to cover furniture.
Remove Items From Walls
Take a look around your house or apartment, and you might be amazed at how much stuff you have on your walls – photos, paintings, tapestries, and other decorations that help make a house a home. Before you paint, they have to come down.
Here are some tips:
- Again, everything must go from every surface you’re painting. Don’t get cute and try to paint around objects that can easily be removed and rehung later. You’ll end up with a sloppy, incomplete paint job.
- If you used screws or wall anchors in your walls to hold up your pictures and decorations, they can stay in place. Just paint around them (or even over them) with a brush. Of course, if you really want a professional finish, remove all that hardware and install new hardware when you’re finished.
- Use your phone to take photos of your room, particularly your walls, before you start. It’ll help you recall where everything goes when you’re finished.
- Remove light switch plates. Don’t try to paint around them. Trust us. They generally are held in place with one or two small screws, so they come off and go back on quite easily. Use a piece of scotch tape to tape the screws to the back of the plate so you don’t lose them.
Repair and Clean Surfaces
When everything is off the walls, survey them closely. Note any gouges, stains, cracks, or holes. You’ll want to fix these before you begin or those imperfections will show through your fresh new paint job.
Paint Gnome has a comprehensive guide on how to patch holes, but here are the basics:
- Fill the holes and gouges with spackle or joint compound. Spackle is a quick-drying mix of gypsum powder and binders. Spackling paste or compound is inexpensive, readily available at home improvement stores, and works great for small repairs on wood, drywall, and plaster.
- Simply scoop a small amount out of the container with a putty knife, smear it over the gouge or hole, and scrape off the excess. Allow it to dry, then sand it lightly to achieve a smooth finish that is even with the wall.
- When all holes and gouges have been filled and smoothed, wash the wall with an all-purpose cleaner to remove any dirt or grime that might keep your paint from adhering. Use a strong degreaser for stubborn stains.
IMPORTANT: If a greasy stain or water stain remains after cleaning, you will probably need to apply primer to that spot.
Tape Edges
Professional painters often skip this step because they are highly skilled at painting cleanly and precisely. For the rest of us, applying painter’s tape is an excellent way of protecting trim, baseboards and other surfaces from unwanted overlap from brushes and rollers.
It’s important to note that any old tape won’t do for this job. Painter’s tape is designed for this task to keep paint from bleeding and to come off easily when you’re finished.
To apply the tape, wipe the trim, baseboard or surface clean and make sure it’s dry. Then:
- Tear or cut tape into 12- to 18-inch strips. Place each strip precisely and slowly on the surface you want to protect, ensuring it forms a precise border with the surface to be painted.
- As you apply, press it down firmly with your fingers. Be sure that there are no wrinkles or bubbles in the tape where paint could seep in.
- Go over the tape with a flexible putty knife or credit card to again press the tape onto the surface. This will ensure there are no air bubbles for the paint to leak into or creases where your lines will have jagged edges.
- Wait 30-60 minutes before painting to let the tape fully adhere to the surface.
If you’re not still not confident about using painter’s tape, see our guide on Paint Gnome.
Set Up a Workstation
As with any project, you’ll want your equipment and materials close at hand. So before you start, lay a second tarp on the floor large enough to accommodate your paint, paint trays and buckets, and supplies.
Among these items should be damp rags for cleaning small spills and splatter or mineral spirits if you’re working with oil-based paints. Read our guide on cleaning spilled paint in case an accident happens.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to use a primer before I paint?
Not generally. Most latex paints are well-designed and can cover very well without primer. However, you would do well to use a primer if you are painting a light color over a dark color, if you are painting a surface that has been exposed to lots of moisture or humidity (like a bathroom), if you have had water damage, or if your walls have been stained badly.
Is DIY painting worth it?
If you can do it right, DIY painting may save money. However, if it goes wrong, it could be an expensive lesson.
When to Hire a Pro
Most of us have painted at one time or another, so it’s easy to believe that painting is a breeze. But without proper prep work, you will end up with a room that is unsatisfactory or, worse, a disaster. If you’re not confident in your painting skills, consider consulting a professional painter. Estimates are free.
Main Photo Credit: Blue Bird / Pexels / License
