How to Paint a Room: What are The Secret to Painting a House
Expert painter SB Painting Henrique shows host Kevin O’Connor tips and tricks for painting like a pro. In this video, Kevin O’Connor joins expert painter SB Henrique to discuss painting techniques. SB begins by showing Kevin how a professional painter holds the brush. SB then fills the brush with paint and shows Kevin how to properly paint a baseboard. After deliberately smearing paint on the wall, SB Painting shows Kevin how to wipe it off before discussing the benefits of painter’s tape.
How to hold a paintbrush
To paint a room like a pro, you need to hold the brush like a pro. Place the brush handle on the back of your thumb while holding the ferrule (the metal part that holds the brush together) between your index and middle fingers. The tip of an angled brush should be on the side of your finger, not on the side of your thumb.
How long does it take to paint a room?
It takes between two and four days to paint a room of average size. This is the time it takes to prepare, prime, and paint properly. It’s more work, but when you look back and admire the results, you’ll agree that it’s time well spent.
1. Clean up mistakes while they’re wet
If a sprinkle hits the wall, don’t worry – wet paint is pretty easy to remove. If you have a damp cloth nearby, you can spread the fabric on a finger and wipe the wet paint off the wall. Just make sure you squeeze any excess cloth in the palm of your hand so it doesn’t come into contact with the wet baseboard.
2. Even professionals use painter’s tape – sometimes
There are times when even professionals use painter’s tape. When painting on finished surfaces, such as floors and wood, they often use painter’s tape to protect the surface. But when it comes to painting walls and moldings, they usually forgo tape and use their skills and steady hands instead.
Most of us can paint a room well. But an experienced professional does an excellent job. It’s obvious that professional painters have more experience than the average homeowner, but they also know the techniques and tricks that make them better painters.
3. Remove everything from the room
To begin with, move everything out of the room. Every painter I talked to had a horror story about when they didn’t follow Rule 1. Larger furniture can sometimes be left covered in the middle of large rooms, but if you’re repairing drywall, Chris Span of Span’s Quality Painting in Mobile, Alabama, says, “Take everything out. Dust from drywall gets everywhere.”
Remove doors, light fixtures, and hardware and mark everything with masking tape. Also, invest in canvases. “It’s amazing how well a few drops of paint can cover a floor,” says Rich Maceyunas of Maceyunas Painting and Wallpaper in Waterbury, Connecticut. Buy high-quality canvases, such as canvas or plastic with a paper backing. Note that paint seeps through lightweight fabrics and bedding. Plastic canvas works, but is very slippery and does not absorb drips.
4. Find and repair cracks and imperfections.
Even an old lamp with an empty bulb held close to the wall will reveal small cracks, dents, or nail damage. Carmen Toto, the owner of C. Toto & Sons in Madison, New Jersey, uses painter’s putty or light putty for minor cracks and dents; for dents deeper than 1/8 inch, she uses plaster of Paris.
Instead of the usual tape-and-adhesive method for covering recurring stress cracks, Maceyunas uses a rubberized spray primer called Good-Bye Crack. Damaged wood requires a slightly different approach. “Don’t use putty on wood,” says Toto, “because it doesn’t stick.”
For damaged moldings, he uses painter’s putty or a two-part filler like Minwax High-Performance Filler. Smooth out any repairs, bumps, and unevenness with a drywall sander. For smoother walls and better adhesion, some of our professionals sand all previously painted walls, regardless of shape.
5. Two-step sanding
Sanding not only fades chipped paint but also provides “teeth” for the next coat of paint. For glossy finishes, use a sanding sponge instead of sandpaper. The sponge molds itself to the shape of the molding and lasts longer than paper.
When applying latex over alkyd paint or when you’re unsure how the finish will look.
6. Sponge bathing walls
Unless you like textured walls, don’t paint over dust. Wash the walls with trisodium phosphate (TSP) or a mild cleaner such as Jascov TSP No-Rinse Substitute. Toto uses a 50/50 bleach/water solution for smoke-stained walls.
Use two buckets to clean the wall. Load a cloth or sponge from the bucket with the cleaning solution and scrub. Rinse the sponge in another bucket filled with clean water before wiping it again.
7. Seal all cracks
Filling gaps with a paintable acrylic latex sealant reduces draughts and makes your cladding look better than new. The secret to using a sealant is to cut the tip smaller than you think it should be; too much sealant makes a mess.
Also, use a small wire instead of a nail to break the inner seal so you don’t stretch the nozzle. You should also consider buying a dripless caulking gun which will automatically reduce the pressure after each trigger pulls to prevent unwanted leakage.
8. Choose a high-performance primer
Primer is not just thinned paint. They are formulated to create a solid, even base, seal stains and ensure that topcoats of paint are applied smoothly and bond firmly to the surface. “Most homeowners use latex undercoats, but professionals stick with alcohol and alkyd undercoats because they will cover almost anything,” says John Weeks of John the Painter in Mobile, Alabama. The base coat can affect the appearance of the topcoat. “You can prime ceilings in places, but not walls because the places that have been primed will be visible,” adds Span.
9. Buy a good quality paint
In general, glossier paints are more stain-resistant and easier to clean. However, a higher gloss also highlights any imperfections on the wall or in the paintwork. “Flat paints are suitable for ceilings and formal rooms, but I recommend eggshell sheen paints to most of my clients. It’s suitable for hallways, children’s rooms, even kitchens, and bathrooms,” says Toto. Even the pickiest painters seem to be convinced by latex paints. “Although we still use oil-based paints for restoration work, latex paints are suitable for interior walls and new cladding,” says Toto, “as long as you’re not cheap with paint.”
All our experts have their favorite paints, but they agree that good paint is not cheap. “You’ll spend $20 to $35 a gallon for top-quality paint,” says Weeks. The experts also agreed that two coats of paint will make the job look its best. Don’t skimp on the coverage; if you cover more than 400 square feet per gallon, you’ve applied the paint too thinly. Also, keep 1/4 to 1/2 gallon on hand for touch-ups.
10. Supercharge Paint
“Modern paints dry too quickly and are difficult to smear with a brush,” says Dixon, who uses paint additives such as Floetrol for latex paints and Petrol for alkyd paints. “Adding a few ounces per gallon slows drying time and makes the paint more workable,” he says. Another problem is bridging. “Latex paints form a skin,” says Dixon. “Removing the painted strip can tear the skin, resulting in a ragged rather than sharp line.” Finally, taping takes time. “It takes practice to learn how to sculpt with a brush, but if you get the hang of it, you’ll leave most tapers in the dust,” says Dixon.
Although there are anti-mold additives, our experts prefer to use bathroom and kitchen paints that have built-in mold fighters. “These paints will prevent mold from forming, but they won’t kill the mold that’s already there,” points out Dixon. Because residual mold spores can live under the paint and eventually make their way to the surface, you should also prepare bathroom and kitchen surfaces. First, rinse the walls with a bleach solution (3/4 cup bleach per gallon of water), then seal them with a stain-blocking primer, such as Zinsser’s Bulls Eye 1-2-3 or Kilz’s Total One.
11. Rules for using a roller
A perfect roller would hold a full room of paint, leave the right amount of texture, not spray and splatter and be easy to clean. Until someone invents the perfect roller, follow these tips for choosing the right roller. “The longer the hair, the more color the roller will hold, but it will also create more texture,” says Dixon. “A lambswool roller with a 1/2-inch nap length will hold a lot of color without too much texture,” says Dixon. “Less expensive rollers can work,” says Span. “Just wash them in dishwashing liquid first to remove any lint that may have fallen out.”
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How to choose a good paint roller
Most pros we spoke to prefer 9-inch rollers to 18-inch models – they’re lighter, cheaper, and easier to use. Despite these drawbacks, Maceyunas favors the wider roller. “With a roller, you can do a whole wall with a few up and down strokes, instead of dozens of
