10 Interior House Painting Tips & Painting Techniques  for the Perfect Paint Job

Tip 1:To avoid lap marks, roll the full height of the wall and keep a wet edge                                                                                                                                                                                                               Roll the full height of the wall - Lap marks are those ugly stripes caused by uneven layers of paint buildup. They occur when you roll over paint that’s already partly dry. (In warm, dry conditions, latex paint can begin to stiffen in less than a minute!) The key to avoiding lap marks is to maintain a “wet edge,” so each stroke of your roller overlaps the previous stroke before the paint can begin to dry.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Tip 2:Mix several cans of paint in a large bucket for a consistent color throughout the room                                                                                                                                                                    Mix paint in a large bucket - Paint color may vary slightly from one can to the next. If you have to open a new can in the middle of a wall, the difference may be noticeable. Mixing the paints together eliminates the problem. It’s best to estimate the amount of paint you’ll need and mix it in a 5-gallon bucket (a process called “boxing”)                                                                                                                                               Tip 3:Let the paint dry, then cut the tape loose for a perfect edge                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Cut tape when paint is dry - Once paint is dry, at least 24 hours, use a sharp utility knife to slice through the film. You can’t just pull the tape off the trim. Paint forms a film between the wall and the tape and removing the tape tears pieces of dried paint off the wall. So before pulling off the tape, cut it loose.                                                                                                                                                                                                              Tip 4:Paint the trim first, then the ceiling and walls                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Paint the trim first - Pros usually follow a certain order when painting a room. They paint the trim first, then the ceiling, then the walls. That’s because it’s easier (and faster) to tape off the trim than to tape off the walls. And you certainly don’t want to tape them both off.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Tip 5:Prime and texture wall patches to avoid a blotchy finish                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Freshly painted walls often look blotchy - Freshly painted walls often look blotchy. The color is uniform, but the sheen isn’t consistent. This usually occurs over the holes and cracks you patched with a filler or drywall compound. Primer seals the patch so paint won’t sink in and look dull. To match texture, prime with a roller, feathering out the edges. Choose a nap thickness to match the surrounding wall texture (a 3/8-in. nap roller for smooth walls; 1/2-in. for textured).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Tip 6:Clean dirty surfaces so the paint can form a strong bond                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Clean dirty areas before painting - If you paint over dirty, oily surfaces, the paint will easily chip or peel off. So before painting, clean grimy areas with a de-glosser or heavy-duty cleaner intended for pre-paint cleaning. They work well to clean painted, varnished or enameled surfaces to improve the adhesion of the new paint.                                                                                                                                                                    Tip 7:Roll paint along the edges for consistent texture                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Roll out paint near trim - Corners and areas next to trim that are painted only with a brush have a notice- ably different texture than the surrounding paint. To ensure the finished texture will be consistent in these areas, brush on the paint, then immediately roll it out before the paint dries.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Tip 8:Use cotton drop cloths rather than plastic                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Protect floor with cotton drop cloth - Spills and spatters happen, regardless of how careful you are. It’s a lot easier to pre- pare for them than to wipe them out of your carpeting or off your wood floor later. All it takes is canvas drop cloths in your work area (a 4-ft. x 15-ft. cloth costs $15). The thick canvas stays in place, so you don’t need to tape it, and you can use it to cover any surface. Plastic drop cloths are slippery to walk on or set a ladder on and don’t stay in place. Even worse, paint spills on plastic stay wet, and they can end up on your shoes and get tracked through the house.                                                              Tip 9:Feather out paint where you can’t keep a wet edge                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Feather paint with a dry roller in large areas - You can’t cover large areas like ceilings, extra-tall walls or stairwells in single, continuous strokes, so the best way to minimize lap marks on these areas is to feather out the paint along the edges that you can’t keep wet. The thinner, feathered coat of paint will avoid the buildup that causes the lap mark.                                                                                                                      Tip 10:Sand trim between coats for an ultra-smooth finish                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Sand trim for a smooth finish - One coat of paint usually won’t hide the underlying color and sheen on trim. And if you don’t sand the surface smooth between coats, the finish may have a grainy texture. For a smooth finish, sand the trim before applying each coat of paint.