How to paint a room.

The first thing you need to do when remodeling a room is deciding what color to paint it.
Go to the local paint or hardware store and look at some paint samples.

Pick out some colors cards you like. Take 2 or 3 of the same color of each sample card you like.

Take all your paint sample cards home and type them up in various areas of the room you are planning on painting.

Observe your paint cards at various times of day and in different typed of light.

How do these samples look on your walls? do you like them or hate them.

If you hate them, go back and pick out more cards.

If you find one or more your really like go back to the store and see if you can get a small sample of paint for each of the colors you like.
This may cost of a couple of dollars for each paint sample. These paint samples should be enough to cover 2 to 3 square feet.

Take your paint home, and paint some test patches on the walls in the room you are planning to paint. Wait for the paint to dry completely, this could take 24 to 48 hours.

Do you still like the color once it is on your walls and dry?

If you do, then go back to the store and buy enough paint to do your entire room. If you have painted more then one color of test paint you will also need to buy a 1-pint can of white paint to cover the test paint areas, before you paint with the color you choose.

Measure your room before you go to the store so you know how much paint to buy. Are you going to paint the ceiling too? Will you use the same color and different color or go with white for the ceiling?

Let the person at the paint store how big your room is and what areas you plan to paint. They will be happy to help you select a paint and how much you will need.


Teasting paint splotches on the walls.

Depending on what you are painting you will need a certain type of paint.

Indoor or Out door

Flat, satin, glossy, semi gloss.

Let your paint sales person know what you plan to paint and they will help you select the right paint for the object you are painting.

Painting supplies for a room should include:

Paint
A drop cloth
Paint roller and roller tray
Paintbrushes
Painter's tape
A ladder
Goggles ( very important if you are painting the ceiling)
Paper towels and a damp cloth to clean up any drips or spots of over painting.
A good source of light
Rubber mallet to tap the paint lid back on your paint can.

Take off switch plate covers


Take down light fixtures



No matter how good you think you are, use a trop cloth. Accidents and drips will happen.

Painters tape is your friend

Mask of areas you don't want to get paint on

If you don't have a steady hand painters tape will give you a nice finished look. Just pull the tape off as soon as the paint dries and Walla! Nice clean paint lines!

Do all your cutting in work first. This means corners and edges, around trim and tight fitting places.

Once all the cutting in work is done start at the ceiling a work your way down.

When you are done painting the ceiling start on the walls.

Give your paint at least 24 hours to dry.

You have run out of time or out of paint. What do you do with your paint soaked brushes and rollers?

Here is a simple tip to save your brushes and rollers for the next day.

Wrap your brushes and rollers ( individually) in Tin Foil and put them in the freezer.

Your brushes and rollers won't dry out and you can keep them for weeks what way if need be.

When you are ready to paint again take them out of the freezer and let them thaw out for about an hour.

Your brushes will be soft and supple and already primed with paint.

Saving your paint

Paint can stay good for years if sealed properly.

Always put the paint lid on firmly after every use. Only pour the amount of paint out you are going to use in a roller tray or into a paint cup.

NEVER leave the lid off your paint can this is an accident waiting to happen. Also this will keep your paint clean and keep it from drying out.

Always shake your paint can up before you use it. Paint will separate over night. MAKE SURE THE LID IS ON TIGHT! If it's not....you will find out, the hard way.

Once you are done painting rinse all your painting equipment off in warm water.

Brushes and rollers need to be thoroughly rinsed out, this can take several minute of washing. Don't use soap.

To clean a brush:

Use warm water to rinse all paint from the brush.
Spread the bristles with your fingers to let water run on the paint hiding down in the brush. Once there is no more paint left in the brush place it with the bristles up to dry. This keeps your brush from being bent and damaging the bristles.

To clean a roller
Use warm water to rinse all paint from the roller.
Hold the roller up and down under the water. Start at one end and work your way down to the other end squeezing the paint down and out of the roller.
You will need to repeat this many times to get all the paint out of the roller.
Make sure you clean the inside of the roller too.

Once all the paint is out of the roller place it up and down on a shelf to dry.

This room has two different colors of blue and two different colors of white.

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