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Simple Fixes
A New Coat of Paint
Using color to transform a room
By Ryan Patrick
Nothing spruces up a room faster and better
than a new coat of paint. It transforms the entire
mood of the space. Hiring a professional to do the
job can be tempting, but the truth is, if you take
your time to do the job right, there is no reason
that you can’t get the same results the pros do and
save yourself a bundle of money.
The key to any good paint job is preparation.
If you rush through the prep work, the end result
will suffer. By making sure that you have everything
you need before you start, you will invariably have a
much better experience.
Make sure you have your paint, rollers,
brushes, screwdrivers, painter’s tape, rags, drop
clothes, a paint can opener (a flathead screwdriver
will do the job), plastic bags or plastic wrap, fine
sandpaper, a razor or Exacto knife, and a good
supply of patience.
After carrying all the furniture from the
space, it is a good idea to remove as much hardware
as you can. It may seem like less work to paint
around light switch plates, outlet covers, knobs,
baseboards and even light fixtures, but in the long
run it is much easier to remove them. This will not
only make your painting go faster, it will also keep
you from slobbering paint onto areas you don’t
want drips on, forcing you to stop constantly to
wipe up mistakes.
Dirt and grime can affect how well the paint
adheres to the walls, so be sure to wash down the
ceiling and walls thoroughly and allow time to dry
completely. Also, this is the time to fix any cracks
or holes. Sandable putty is a great option, as it
spreads easily when sanded down and will make a
seamless patch.
Nothing makes a paint job look worse than
having ugly globs and drips of paint
along the edges of window and door
frames. For that reason, painter’s tape
is recommended. By taping along the
edges of doors, windows and other
areas where the paint isn’t supposed to
go, you ensure a nice, crisp edge. It’s a
small detail that makes all the
difference in the world. Some people
opt to save a buck or two and use
masking tape. While that will work,
masking tape has a much stickier
backing and isn’t meant for use on
finished surfaces. In some cases,
masking tape can remove paint and wood finishes,
giving you a new problem to deal with.
If your room has odd-shaped objects that
cannot be removed and need to be covered,
aluminum foil is a great trick, as it can be molded
to the exact shape needed and the excess cut away
with the Exacto knife. Then spread the drop cloth
across the floor to keep drips from turning your
carpet or hardwood floors into an abstract painting.
After putting on some old clothes, you are
ready to begin.
Work from the top down, starting with the
ceiling. Begin by cutting in, painting the perimeter
where the ceiling and floor meet. By making a
smooth, even three-to four-inch strip all the way
around, painting the rest will be a snap. Then, by
using a roller, simply use long, smooth strokes to
apply the paint evenly. The pros use what is known
as an “M” pattern. They will load up the roller and
then, in a three-to four-foot area, they make the
letter “M” to distribute the paint to the wall and
then, without reloading, fill in the area around it. If
your ceiling is high, you will either need a ladder or
an extension for your roller. The roller extension is
a great time saver and does just as good a job as
long as you are careful to spread the paint evenly.
After taking a few minutes to cut in around
the windows and doors, using the same technique,
roll the walls. Because the prep work had been
done ahead of time, the actual painting goes very
quickly.
If you want, you can always throw on a second
coat to ensure good coverage and longevity. To
really make your work pop, paint the window
frames an accent color. But wait until your wall
paint is dry and then tape it out.
How Much Paint is Needed?
To figure out how
much paint you
need, measure the
perimeter of the
room and then
multiply it by the
height of the
walls. If you are
painting the ceiling,
multiply the length
and width to get
a square footage
and add it to the
number you came
up with for the
walls. Paint cans
have square
footage calculations
on the side.
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Home Remodeling 2008
