Painting 101: How To Prep a Room For Paint

Don’t rush or skip any corners when it comes to painting preparation; it saves you time and effort in the long run. Once you’ve gathered everything you might need for the project, it’s time to get to work at preparing to work. We’ve put together these five preparation tips to make even a beginner’s painting project as quick, clean, and successful as possible.

Be Prepared to Paint

For most painting projects, it’s best to completely empty the room of all furniture before you start. This gives you easy access to all surfaces, and it protects your things from being damaged by paint. Too many obstacles in the room create tripping hazards or make it hard to get the paint exactly where it needs to go. Don’t forget to remove the curtains and curtain rods. Another piece of prep work is to remove all outlet or light switch covers and use painters tape to mask off the parts you can’t remove.

Protect Your Space

Next, the drop cloths go down around the room to protect the floor. Canvas drop cloths are generally a better choice for most painting projects; they’re durable, reusable, and soak up the paint rather than create a slick mess. They also lay flat, making them safer around angled or uneven flooring areas.

If you’ll be painting a door or door jamb, it is a good idea to remove the door and tackle that job separately. This allows you to completely paint those surfaces without damaging the finish through accidental use. It would slow down any project to get to the end of the day and discover a “little helper” had accidentally painted the door closed.

Check For Holes

Paint moves to contour the surface it’s applied to, which means it will often find nooks and crannies and dents that you weren’t expecting. This can add character or texture, but it isn’t always the look you want. It can also be a waste of paint.

Check that the baseboards and trim are flush against the walls. If there are any gaps or spaces, spread a thin bead of caulking along the top edge of the trim and seal off the gap. Use a putty knife or edger to smooth out the caulk and create a flat, seamless ridge against the wall. It will help define the trim and save some effort later. Let it dry completely before painting begins.

Take a good look at the walls. Are there any nail holes, scratches, or dents? Those should be filled in or repaired before painting. A new coat of paint will likely make these kinds of rough spots stand out more rather than hide them. It’s best not to take any shortcuts.

Remember: Paint Is A Diva

Paint is fussy. It’s particular about the environment where it can stick. If the existing paint on the walls is a shiny, high gloss, or textured paint, it could cause problems. Paint needs a rough surface to adhere to, so if you won’t be covering that high-gloss old paint with a primer base coat, it can help to take a fine-grain sandpaper to the walls to scuff up the existing paint.

Be sure to remove any existing paint that might have worn down and become loose over the intervening years. You can sand it down, or you can take a scraper to the offending spot and remove the old paint. Painting over loose paint will not repair the damage, it will just pass the damage along to the new paint job. If you do need to take this step, be sure to wipe the walls down with a damp cloth afterward to clear away any dust or grit.

Watch the Weather

The last point to consider before painting is a quick check of the weather. Yes, the weather. You need to make sure the area you’ll be working in has a good airflow, as paint fumes can be dangerous. Always keep your working area properly ventilated and at a good temperature to stay comfortable as you work. The downside to this very important consideration is that it also has an impact on the paint, because paint can be sensitive to changes in the air.

If you’re going to be working in hot, dry conditions, you will need to have all of your tools and supplies on hand and nearby so you can work quickly. The paint will dry and harden fast, which means that you’ll run into the potential problems of visible texture lines, or layering that won’t fully stick to the wall. The best way to plan for a warmer painting environment is to work in small sections and be very careful about overlapping edges with areas that have already dried.

High humidity and colder temperatures make paint dry more slowly. If it’s too cold, the paint will not mix properly. If you know it’s going to be a humid working area, you can bring in heat lamps to dry the air if you. If these aren’t available, make sure not to be in too much of a rush as you work with the paint. It will be more forgiving and will let you clean up any accidents or drips, however, it will likely be harder to switch between colors or jump right to doing the edging.

That’s it. Five simple steps to prepare a room for painting. Keep all of this in mind as you plan your project, and once everything is in place, you’re ready to paint.