I am not a fan of painting and for those of you out there that fit into that category, give me a call and I’ll give you the contact information of the painter that has proven to be a wonderful resource to me in the past.
For those of you out there that do enjoy painting or simply would like the satisfaction of completing the job yourself, I offer to you my wife’s list of things to do when starting in on any interior painting job.
#1. Plan ahead and give yourself loads of time to gather all your tools. My wife is a little obsessed when it comes to painting so she gives herself a day to do all this. During this time I will (undoubtedly) hear the words “Can we go to Home Depot to get….” and ‘we’ turns into ‘me’ on a mission to pick up whatever list she hands me! It’s during this time that she gathers together all of her tools (paint, paint brushes, rollers, drop cloths, plastic wrap, rags) and starts removing hardware from cabinets and doors and covering wall and ceiling lights.
#2. Organize a tool station. One of the biggest wastes of time when completing any project (painting or otherwise) is searching for tools that you might need. After checking getting everything she needs my wife then proceeds to put everything in one place to avoid having to search for much needed tools while painting. I’ve learned over the years not to touch this sacred space, removing a mere screwdriver has in past been a most grievous error on my part!
#3. Dress for the occasion. I’d put a picture of my wife complete in painting garb here but I’m sure that would also be a ‘grievous error’ so let’s just say that her outfit allows her to focus on how to perfectly apply the paint to the walls without worry of ruining her favourite shirt.
#4. Pick the right tools for the job. Synthetic brushes are apparently good for all types of paint and best for latex based paints. We have many different types of surfaces in our house, some smooth others not, and as such we have a collection of paint rollers. Rollers should have plastic centres (not cardboard) and the nap (which refers to the fullness of the covering) should be suitable for the surface you are painting. The basic rule is to use a flat smooth roller for smooth surfaces and a thicker, plush roller for rougher, textured walls.
#5. Prime or pick paint with a self-primer. I have always thought of this as a rather unnecessary step in the process but the errors of my way have been quite readily pointed out to me! Apparently, even if your walls have been painted it is necessary to do this, especially if you have used anything other than a flat sheened paint. Semi-glosses, satins, and the like will actually make your walls more porous and thus result in a less even paint finish.
#6. Pick your paint and figure out how much you need. This can be a very time consuming project, I’ve been dragged to more paint stores then you can imagine just for one room. I’ve even felt guilty at the thought of how many trees had to die to provide the paint chips that came home with us! The type and colour of paint that you use is very much a personal decision. My wife’s favourite store by far is Benjamin Moore (and she’s had great luck using their online paint calculator) with the Behr line at Home Depot coming in at second.
#7. Paint in the right order. Simple rule: ceiling first, then walls and finally the trim.
#8. Keep your paint brushes and rollers ready. No need to wash up your brush and roller just because you want to take a break. Simply wrap in plastic and then seal in a plastic bag. If you plan on taking a longer break, just put the plastic bag in the freezer and defrost when ready to start again.
#9. Clean your brushes and rollers properly. I once believed this meant throwing away these things after the project was finished (mainly because I so infrequently painted) but have since been ‘informed’ that it means using a solution of water and laundry fabric softener for about 10 minutes then rinsing well and fully drying.
#10. Mark your left over paint cans. I think this one can go unexplained but really it is an important trick. Cloud White and Grand Teton White really aren’t that different and if you accidentally paint over the name on the can you may end up with a whole new painting project to complete!