Tips on Painting your home Interior

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1 Step By Step Tips For Painting
2 Buying Tips
3 Choose Paint Colors
4 Check List
5 Sources/Reference
6 Authors

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Step By Step Tips For Painting

Remove all the hardware in the room. Take down all decorations and then scan the walls for any nails or pins, remove these. Take off the electrical outlet covers, you should turn off the circuit breakers before you do this.
Wash the walls to remove any dirt and dust. Paint will not stick very well to dust so it is important to have them cleaned. Also vacuum the carpet.
Use painter's tape to tape around anything that should not be painted. The tape with sheets of plastic attached are the best because they will completely cover the areas you don't want to be painted. Put a drop clothe down over the entire carpet especially if you are painting the ceiling.
Fill in any holes in the wall with Spackle. Put some Spackle on a Spackle knife and spread over the hole several times.It will dry to a white chalky color. Sand it so that none of the Spackle is sticking out from the wall, but is only filling the hole. You may want to dab on primer using feathery strokes all around the hole.
Caulk any areas that need to be caulked. Keep your finger on the release button so that when you let go the flow will stop. Fill in any area that needs to be caulked and then take a small damp sponge and run it over the area to give it a clean look. You should wait at least twelve hours before you paint over any caulking to allow proper drying time.
It is a good idea to pour your paint into another container. When using a brush you will want to fill a paint pail only about an inch deep, so that it won't spill. When using the rollers only fill the tray about a third full.
Use a brush to paint next to the floor boards, edges, ceiling and corners. Use a small chiseled brush. With a slow steady hand you should be able to paint these areas without getting paint on your floor boards or ceiling, though it may take some practice.
Now use the roller to get the wall. Don't put too much paint on it or you will end up with areas of heavy paint deposits.Begin by making an "M" on the wall. Then run back over the same area several times. One roller full of paint should cover about four square feet of space.
If you are changing the color of the paint you should give the room two coats for the most professional look. You will also want to do the same thing with the ceiling.
Now paint the floor boards and any trim. You may want to use an edger, which looks something like a big long Spackle knife, to protect your newly painted wall.

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Buying Tips

Choosing the Safest Paint
Estimating Paint Needs

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Choose Paint Colors

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Three Different Shades

One color for the siding;
Another color for eaves, moldings, and other trim;
And a third color for accents such as doors, railings, and window sashes.

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Historic Authenticity

You can hire a pro to analyze old paint chips and recreate the original color.
You can refer to historic color charts and select shades that might have been used at the time your home was built.
Or, you can fly in the face of history and choose bright modern colors to dramatize architectural details.

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Existing Colors

Your house is your canvas, but it is not blank. Some colors are already established. What color is your roof? Is there mortar or other siding that will not be painted? Will doors and railings remain their existing colors? New paint does not need to match existing colors, but it should harmonize.

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Interior Colors

It may seem comical to paint entire house based on the pattern of a pillow case, but this approach does make sense. The color of your furnishings will guide you in the selection of your interior paint colors, and your interior paint colors will influence the colors you use outside. Once again, your goal is to harmonize.

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Accents

Depending on the size and complexity of your home, you may be choosing two, three or as many as six colors. In addition to the color you select for siding, you'll want to select accent colors for trim and details such as shutters, moldings and columns. This can be tricky, because too many colors will overwhelm your house and too few will make it seem two dimensional.

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Darks and Lights

Light colors will make your house seem larger. Dark siding or dark bands of trim will make your house seem smaller, but will draw more attention to details. Darker shades are best for accenting recesses, while lighter tones will highlight details which project from the wall surface. On traditional Victorian homes, the darkest paint is often used for the window sashes.

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Harmony and Contrast

Contrasting colors will draw attention to architectural details. But, extreme contrasts will clash and actually detract from details. To be safe, consider staying within a single color family. For some accents, try using a darker or lighter shade instead of a different color.

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Balance

A burst of a single color on just one part of your home may give it a lopsided appearance. Strive to balance colors over the entire building.

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Durability

The more intense a color, the more likely it is to fade. After a few years, vivid blues and deep reds will seem more subdued.
Dark colors also pose more maintenance problems. Dark colors absorb heat and suffer more moisture problems than lighter shades. And because dark paint fades, it's difficult to touch up.

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Color Deceptions

Color swatches look very different when they are brought out of the store and viewed in natural sunlight. Also, colors appear lighter on large surfaces than they do on small samples. It's best to test your selected color in one area before buying gallons of paint.

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