SUPPLIES
- Cleaning supplies (hot water, soap, scrub brush)
- Putty knife
- Spackling
- Medium-grit sandpaper
- Primer
- Painter's tape
- Paintbrushes, rollers or both
- Extendable roller
- Ladder
- Paint and paint tray
Overview
Painting is one of the easiest and most inexpensive ways to make a dramatic change to a room. It takes only one or two days to paint most rooms, and the results are sure to please. One mistake that many beginners make, however, is forgetting to paint the ceiling. As a rule, ceilings should be painted one shade lighter than the walls. Read on for some tips that will make painting your walls and ceilings easier.
How to Paint Walls and Ceilings
Step 1
Clean the ceiling and walls with hot soapy water and a scrub brush. Try to remove as much grease, dirt, markings and cobwebs as you can. The cleaner the walls and ceilings are, the easier they will be to paint. Scrubbing may remove some of the paint, which is perfectly fine.
Step 2
Look for nail or screw holes, and fill them in with spackling. Use a putty knife to spread the spackle over the hole. Smooth it out as much as you can, much like frosting a cake. Allow to dry completely. Once dry, sand down any rough spots leftover from the spackle.
Step 3
Tape off the room, and protect nearby items. Move everything away from the walls, and cover furniture or knickknacks with a tarp, plastic or old sheets and blankets. Use painter's tape to tape off areas that you will be painting a different color or that you don't want to be painted, such as a window sill. In addition, run tape along the ceiling to prevent your wall color from getting on the ceiling, unless you are going to paint both the same color.
Step 4
Open windows for proper ventilation, or use a fan if there are no windows. Put primer on the walls if they are painted a dark color or if you want to paint only one coat of paint. Primer allows the paint to stick better to the walls, and provides better coverage with only one coat. Apply the primer just like paint.
Step 5
Paint the walls. Dip your roller or paintbrush into the paint can or tray. Remove excess paint so that it does not drip. Paint in an overlapping, large "X" pattern. Doing so will ensure that you do not miss any spots. Remove outlet covers to paint around electrical outlets. Paint from top to bottom, using a ladder.
Step 6
Paint the ceiling. First, use a paintbrush to "cut in" the ceiling. This means you will paint the edges of the ceiling, where the wall meets the ceiling. You will end up with a paint "frame" around your ceiling. Wear goggles to protect your eyes from drips. Next, use a ladder and the paintbrush to paint around light fixtures or fans, getting as close to them as you can.The easiest way to paint the rest of the ceiling is to use a roller with an extendable handle, or one that is designed to paint ceilings. Use the roller to make long, parallel strokes, working in square sections (about one meter square) until the ceiling is complete.
TIPS AND WARNINGS
- WARNING : If using a ladder, make sure it is sturdy and that you never set a paint can or tray on the ladder steps.
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