Paint a Room Like a Pro: Part 2 – Painting

Don’t panic. We know you’ve waited all week for the second portion of this series so that you can finish the nursery just in time for little Jack to arrive. Make sure that you review the preparation post – that your drop cloths are down, your caulking is done and you’ve masked the edges of all vital surfaces.

Now, let’s get to it, shall we?

Selecting the Right Primer

Now that your walls are clean, it’s time to apply primer. You may think that the only time you need to use a primer is if you’re going from a very dark color to a lighter color. However, professionals use a primer regardless of the color change because it covers stains and allows for the new color to maintain the desired look (rather than being tented by the previous color).

You’ll find many types of primers to choose from. For walls that are relatively clean and problem free (you just want a new color!), use an all-purpose, universal acrylic primer. However, if there are minor stains (such as smoke residue), spot prime those areas with a quick-dry oil based primer (latex base primers, like the Kilz brand, have less odor). Severe stains like crayons, ink, fire damage or water damage, will probably need a shellac-base primer to keep them from bleeding through.

According to Andy, if you tint the primer in the color you want to paint the room, it will cut down on the coats you need of the paint to get adequate coverage.

Cutting In to Edges and Corners

The process for cutting in applies to both primer and painting. Use a wide-mouthed can or painting bucket and add just a couple inches of paint at a time. Then, with your cut-in brush (a wide but thin and flatter brush designated for this process), dip it about a half inch into the paint, tack the sides on the inside of the can and then wipe the excess paint on the lip of the can. It may appear that there isn’t much paint left on your brush to work with, but the interior bristles hold plenty to do the job.

Start a couple of inches away from your cut-in point and bring the paint downward. Starting directly at the tape line or edge will leave behind too much paint (this can cause problems later when you go to remove your masking tape and the paint starts to peel off with it). The same applies to the ceiling – start below the ceiling line to work off the excess paint and work your way up, slowly cutting in along the edge so it’s smooth. You should end up with two to three inches of edging along these points so you have plenty of room to roll without mishap.

It’s important to note that transitioning to a color that contrasts with your current walls, such as going from red to cream, makes it hard to have a straight cut-in line. Again, using a tinted primer and making sure to get an adequate number of coats of paint will help. And remember, you can’t just cut-in once and call it good. You need to cut-in every time you do another coat on the wall for adequate coverage.

Painting Process

Do not saturate your roller – you only want a small amount of paint so that you can avoid drips running down your walls and creating textures you weren’t intending. Roll the brush in the pan until it is covered, and then remove a bit of access by rolling it at the top of the pan.

Start in the middle of the wall, rather than the top or the bottom, and roll in a general “W” pattern to get the access paint off and evenly spread over the surface of the wall. Starting at the top or bottom of the wall makes smoothing the excess paint more difficult. By starting in the middle, you’re working toward your cut-in surface for optimal results.

It’s important that you wait the manufacturer’s designated amount of time before adding additional coats to the paint. And each coat will need to be completely dry before you determine if it needs another coat or not. Before you put on that next coat, check on the walls’ appearance several times throughout the day, because changing daylight will also change the way the walls look. Oddly enough, yellow paint is typically the hardest to cover and, even after a primer, may still need three coats of paint to obtain the new color you desire.

Also, you’ll want to remove your masking before the paint has completely dried, but after it has set, which is usually about a day after your final coat. Waiting too long means that you will have pieces of masking left behind. If you remove it too soon, the paint will peel off, too.

Now the nursery is ready for little Jack’s world début. Next on the list: painting the living room!