Trim painting

When painting woodwork, start at the top of the room and work down: ceiling molding, doors, windows, chair-rail moldings, then baseboards, save wear and tear on your knees when painting baseboards by wearing knee pads or by kneeling on a cushion. The edge of woodwork is sometimes curved or very narrow, less than one inch, making it difficult to paint them neatly. Vertical edges of windows and door casings not only are narrow but also are often at an angle that is difficult to reach easily with a paintbrush.

It is sometimes a good idea to paint the woodwork before painting the walls, overlapping the walls slightly as you work on the woodwork. You find it easier to paint a straight edge along a wall than along the edges of narrow or curved woodwork. Be sure to protect freshly painted woodwork when working with a roller on walls. Before removing paint from woodwork, test the surface for old lead paint. The dust produced by sanding can carry the lead paint throughout the house, posing a serious health threat.

Painting woodwork requires a slightly different technique than covering the walls and ceilings does. The sweeping motions of using a roller give way to the control and precision of using a brush on a small surface. Also, brush marks are more likely to occur on wood than on plaster or drywall. You can choose a bold color to contrast with the color of walls and ceilings, or use the woodwork as a frame to highlight the color of the walls. If the woodwork is quite ordinary, you can make it blend into the background.

Whether the woodwork has been painted before or not, wood must be properly prepared before being painted. In general, this means filling any cracks and holes and then sanding the surface. To sand concave surface, wrap the paper around a section of hose or pipe. Large flat surfaces can be sanded with a sheet of paper wrapped around a wood block. The sanding gives the surface tooth, or something to which the new paint can adhere.

Painting walls

Preparation is the most important aspect of a successful paint job. Take your time and prepare walls for painting with the utmost attention to detail. You are probably anxious to get a new color up on your walls, but it is detail that is critical to achieve a satisfactory end result. An evenly done wall devoid of cracks will use less paint, while still managing to look great at the finish of your project. The time spent for the preparation before painting is the main factor that will ensure a top quality job, the protection of your home’s value and your own safety, too. And fortunately, preparing a wall for painting is easy to do!

To begin, clear the wall of anything which might be attached to it such as curtain rods or other fasteners. Take down curtains or window coverings.

Switch off the electricity at the circuit breaker and remove all the fixtures from the walls, including switch plates, outlet covers, and light fixtures or lamps. Cover any exposed wires to prevent them from being coated in paint by wrapping them in black electrical tape or an old grocery bag.

If you are looking to camouflage unsightly spots near the corners of your windows and doors, painter’s tape is the answer to those eyesores. (Masking tape works in a pinch, but for professional-looking results at no additional cost, using the blue painter’s tape works better and comes off easier than regular masking tape.) Another option is to take off the trim with a pry bar and shims.

Fill cracks and small craters with wall filler and use sandpaper to smooth. You can easily and rapidly fill in small holes with putty, whether created by nails, animals, or steel-toed boots (flour or cornstarch and water work well in a pinch).

Vacuum the walls or use a dry shop cloth to remove any dust once any wall defects have been repaired. After that, use a tri-sodium phosphate (TSP) solution and a thirsty sponge to remove any debris from the walls and surrounding area. Rubber gloves are recommended for protecting your hands during this step.

A clean water rinse and ample drying time is required before you continue. It’s hard to wait when you’re eager to finally get some paint on the walls, but do be sure that the walls are 100% dry first.

These steps are all you MUST really do to prepare a wall for painting, but it is highly recommended that you always apply a good quality primer (that is well-matched to your surface) before the paint itself is applied.