| Repainting: A Fast Bedroom Makeover |
From "Syndicated DIY"
episode SDIY-301 |
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Q: Help! My in-laws are visiting next week and I still haven't painted the guest room. Do you have advice to get this job done quickly? A: (from DIY home improvement expert, Brad Staggs) Painting is perhaps the fastest and least expensive way to turn a basic, ho-hum room into something special. A creative approach to room-painting can bring about a room that reflects your tastes and personality. Here are some tips and suggestions. Materials: Paint samples
Paint
Paint-tray and rollers
Paintbrushes
Painter's tape
Drop cloths
Spackling compound
Putty knife
Degreaser
Steps: - To help ensure that you'll be happy with the finished results, consult and use paint samples (figure A) to help you with your color selection. Paint stores will allow you to take paint samples home to see how they look in the room you'll be repainting. "Live with the color" for a few days to be sure that you're making a selection you'll be happy with.
- Better still, purchase a quart of the paint in colors you're considering and actually try out the actual paint-color in the room. An even cheaper method is to take the same approach with paint packets (figure B). These are becoming more commonly available at paint stores, and they just cost a few dollars each, and cover about 2 square feet of wall space. Either way, you'll be able to sample the real paint in the room, rather than a tiny paint-chip sample.
- Take a piece of plain, white poster-board and paint it with the color you're considering. Tape the painted poster-board to the wall (figure C) and, again, "live with it" for a few days, considering how it looks at various times of the day as the light changes from morning to evening. A large painted piece like this will give you a better representation of how the color will ultimately look in the room.
- Once you've made a color decision, you'll need to purchase your painting supplies. In addition to the paint, you'll need paint-trays, rollers (figure D), and the highest quality roller-covers you can afford. Better quality rollers make for a better application. Make sure that the roller covers you purchase are designed for the type of paint you'll be using (latex, flat finish, water-based, oil-based, etc.)
- When selecting paintbrushes, avoid the very inexpensive ones. For a high-quality paint job, use quality synthetic-bristle brushes for latex paints or natural-bristle brushes for oil-based paints (figure E).
- To mask around doors, windows and molding, avoid using ordinary, cheap masking tape. Instead, use specially formulated painter's tape (figure F) that's designed to come off easily when the painting is done without leaving residue or rough edges.
- To avoid paint-spills, you'll need drop cloths, and for cleanups and hand-cleaning, painter's wipes are very helpful (figure G).
- To determine the amount of paint you'll need, you'll need to calculate the amount of wall-space you'll be painting. To do that, you'll need your room dimensions. Multiply the height of the walls by the combined lengths of all the walls you'll be painting. (In our case, the calculation was 8' (H) x 12' (L) x 4 walls = 384 square feet.) Most paints cover between 250 to 400 square feet per gallon of paint. So in our case, 2 gallons of paint was deemed sufficient for 384 square feet.
- Remove furniture, wall decor and other items from the room, then remove any nails, picture-hangers, etc. that are on the walls. Fill any nail-holes or significant imperfections in the walls using spackle and a putty knife. Follow the spackling manufacturer's instructions for drying time and sanding the repairs smooth.
Tip: A flashlight shined along walls at an angle almost parallel to the wall will help you locate small imperfections that might not otherwise be visible.
- Remove electrical switch-plates and outlet covers before you begin painting. Mask the windows, doorframes and baseboards with painter's tape.
Tip: For a professional look, run the edge of a putty knife along the edge of the tape after it's been applied to give you a nice, sharp line (figure H).
- Before painting, it's advisable that you wash your walls using painter's degreaser (figure I).
- Paint-stores will pre-stir your paint for you using a special paint-shaking machine, but if you don't have freshly stirred paint, be sure and stir it well from the bottom using wooden stirring sticks (available at paints stores.)
Tip: When you're ready to begin painting, punch holes in the lip of your paint can using a small finish nail as shown (figure J). When you pour into paint-trays or other containers, the nail holes will allow paint that gets caught in the lip of the can to drain back down into the can.
- Now you're ready to begin painting. Begin painting around the molding and trim using a brush, painting from the top of the room to the bottom. Use a roller to apply paint to the large expanses of wall (figure K). When you load your brush or roller with paint, make sure that it is not loaded so heavily that paint is dripping off as you begin to brush or roll the wall.
Tip: Before applying paint to a roller, run water over the roller-cover, then squeegee off the majority of the water. Paint rolls onto the walls much better from a dampened roller.
- You may want to consider using a paint conditioner with your paint. This will enable the paint to flow on more quickly and easily, with fewer brush-strokes.
Follow these simple painting techniques and tips for a fast -- but professional-looking -- room makeover.
RESOURCES :
Painting Skills
ISBN: 1842154109
Author: Mike Lawrence
Order this title from Amazon.com.
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