Interior painting tips
Q: I plan to paint two rooms in my apartment soon. Any tips on the fastest and most cost-effective way to do so? — Charlene J., Oklahoma City
A: Surprisingly, the fastest and cheapest way to paint is not slapping a coat of the least expensive color in the store onto your walls. Painting interior walls efficiently requires a bit of finesse, but most people catch on quickly.
•Saving money on the project is accomplished by investing in quality paint, brushes and rollers. That gallon of bargain paint may save a few dollars overall, but if it takes three coats to cover a wall, you’ll be back at the store spending extra money. Conversely, if you invest in the most expensive, designer-name paints (some running as much as $40 a gallon), you’ll be wasting money, too. Look for quality paint in the middle of the store’s price range for the best coverage and value.
•Good brushes are essential for getting the most out of the paint you just invested in. Choose all-purpose brushes with flagged (split) bristles and chiseled ends. You’ll need three types for interior painting: a 3-inch wide straight-edge, a 2-inch trim, and a tapered sash brush. A quality set of brushes, well-cared for, lasts for years.
•One good paint roller is all you need for small projects — a standard 9-inch roller is inexpensive and saves lots of time. Buy one with a 3/8 -inch nap for good overall coverage, with a handle that has a threaded end so you can attach an extension to reach ceilings and high walls. Again, don’t buy the cheapest rollers, as they often shed fibers onto the painted surface.
•Next, prepare to paint each room (about 24-48 hours beforehand) by cleaning off the walls and removing as many items from the room as possible.
•Cover furniture and place drop cloths on the floor (old bed sheets will suffice, as will plastic sheeting). Mask off any areas you don’t want painted with masking paper or blue painter’s tape (which seals tightly and can be removed easily without leaving residue). Patch small holes and dings with compound, smooth and let dry.
•What about primer? If the paint currently on the walls is high-gloss or of a different base (oil vs. latex), or if it is a strong color (like dark blue) and you want to repaint the walls white, then you’ll need to apply a coat of primer. This thin layer of white paint (it can be tinted if you wish) keeps strong colors from bleeding through lighter ones, and helps new paint adhere to old.
•If you use primer, buy a set of cheap, disposable brushes to apply it — primer can’t be cleaned off of brushes. (Don’t use foam brushes to apply primer; the adherent chemical in primer will eat through the foam.) Allow primer to dry for 24 hours.
•Now the easy part: painting. Start with the brushes, cutting in the wall edges along the ceiling, door and window frames. Then, coat the roller with paint and apply to the wall, starting with a diagonal stroke, then up-down strokes, and finish the wall using horizontal strokes. Paint one wall at a time so that paint is distributed and dries evenly.
HOME TIP: To estimate the amount of paint needed for a project, multiply the length and width of the wall to find out the surface area. Then, find out the amount of coverage provided by a gallon of your chosen paint. Divide the surface area by amount of coverage; the result will be the number of gallons you need to purchase.