Have you recently looked around at the rooms of your home and felt that, decoratively speaking, something is missing? Do you feel uninspired, and are looking for some visual pop? If so, then it may be time to embark on an interior house painting project.

While a fresh paint job can certainly add some inspiration and style, there are some interior painting “Do’s” and “Don’ts” that you should know before you set out on your latest adventure.

Do…

  • Buy a little paint if you’re uncommitted to a particular colour. Just a quart of paint will do starting out. If you like the look, then you can always buy more; but you don’t want to get stuck with gallons of paint that you’ll never use.
  • Prepare well. There is a lot of prep work that goes into a good paint job. For instance, move all of your furniture away from the target area, perhaps to the center of the room. Store any artwork and accessories in a safe place. Make sure you lay down some painter’s tape around all of your edges. You may need to sand down your walls before applying the primer or first coat.
  • Get good equipment. A sturdy trim brush, a roller, and a paint tray with disposable tray forms are all essential pieces of equipment for a good paint job.
  • Consolidate all of your tools into one area. Set up a temporary “paint station” where your brushes, rollers, paint tape, masks, and anything else you need will be easily accessible.
  • Calculate how much paint you need. It will save you some time if you get all of your paint mixed at one time.
  • Get ready to get messy. Wear appropriate clothes while painting – you are bound to get paint on you sooner or later.

Don’t…

  • Paint over wall paper. If at all possible, remove it with a steamer or other paper-removal solution. If it’s old and breaking off into small pieces, you may need to scrape it off with a putty knife. Remember, you can always repair the wall with joint compound to make the surface smooth once again.
  • Use latex paint on an oil finish, or vice versa, without prepping the wall. You’ll need to thoroughly sand down the wall, clean the surface, and then apply a primer that matches your intended topcoat.
  • Paint out of order. If you are going to paint an entire room, then it’s best to proceed in this order: ceiling, walls, doors, trim and woodwork, and finally floor.
  • Seal the room off from ventilation. You don’t want to be breathing in paint fumes with no air flow in the room. Make sure that a door or window stay open all the time; you may even want to use a portable fan to generate some extra air flow (although you should point it away from your current work area!)
  • Underestimate the amount of time needed to complete the project. Prep work alone can take hours, depending on the particular circumstances. Moreover, you need to factor in the time it will take for your paint to dry (at least 24 hours, to be safe), and the time it will take for your paint to cure before it’s safe to wash and wipe your walls again (anywhere from 2 weeks to a month).

If you’re wondering whether you’ll have the time, energy, and resources to complete such a project by yourself, then it may be good to add one more “Don’t” to our list: don’t go it alone! At Point West Painting, we provide high quality interior painting services at affordable prices. If you’d like to learn more, reach out to us today, and learn how we can help bring a dash of inspiration and style back into your interior home decor.