Do you need a pro to paint a room, or just a free weekend? Just the weekend. Painting is the best first project there is: cheap tools, easy to undo, and the result shows. The part that decides how it looks is not the brushwork. It is the prep and the order.
At a glance
| Skill | Beginner. The This Old House video lists the job as Beginner |
| Cost | That video gives $300 for its job. Your cost depends on the room, so price your own paint and supplies |
| Time | A second coat may be needed after two to four hours of drying, according to the Home Depot video |
| Pro needed? | Not for the painting. See the safety note about old paint |
Safety first
- Old paint. The EPA says homes built before 1978 probably contain lead-based paint. Health Canada says homes built before 1991 may have it. Do not dry sand or scrape paint you have not tested. Ask your local health department or a testing lab how to have it tested, or hire a lead-safe contractor.
- Fumes. Health Canada has a page on chemical safety for DIY projects. Read the label on the can and ventilate the room.
- Ladders. Use a step stool or ladder on a flat floor and don’t overreach. See When to Call a Licensed Pro for jobs that go beyond this.
Buy now / can wait
Buy now: paint, a primer if you need one (see below), painter’s tape, drop cloths, a 2 to 2.5 in. brush, a roller frame and cover, a tray with a liner or a bucket with a roller grid, lightweight spackle, a putty knife, 220 grit sandpaper or a sanding sponge, a utility knife.
Can wait: liquid mask for windows, a paint additive, a 5-in-1 tool. The This Old House painter uses liquid mask on window glass and says it works better than tape, which can let paint onto the glass. He also mixes in a paint additive for the window frames. Try the basics first.
How much paint?
Lowe’s says one gallon covers about 400 square feet. Multiply length by height for each wall. For trim, use the length in feet and .5 for the width. If you need more than one gallon, pour them together in a 5-gallon bucket, which Lowe’s calls boxing, so the colour stays the same. The Home Depot video gives the same advice for large jobs.
Step 1: Prep the walls
The Home Depot video calls skipping prep probably the biggest mistake people make.
- Look for cracks, holes and dents. Fill them with lightweight spackle and a putty knife, scrape off the excess, and let it dry completely. For bigger holes see Drywall Repair: Which Patch to Use.
- Sand flush with 220 grit paper or a sponge, then wipe with a damp towel or sponge.
- Dust the walls and the corners.
- Remove the furniture from a small or average room, and lay a drop cloth. Canvas is durable and absorbent. Plastic is cheaper but not absorbent, so spills stay wet. Paper is the cheapest, tears easily, and works for covering cabinets and furniture.
Step 2: Tape
Painter’s tape comes in different adhesion levels, including ones for delicate surfaces like fresh paint or finished hardwood. Put it on in short overlapping strips and press it down firmly, because paint seeps under it wherever it isn’t in full contact.
Step 3: Prime where you need it
Primer helps seal new drywall, helps on stained walls and big colour changes, and keeps spackle from drawing moisture out of the paint and leaving a dull patch. A paint and primer in one is an option. Primer can be tinted at the store, which can cut down the number of coats, since it costs less than paint. After it dries, sand the bumps lightly and wipe.
Step 4: Decide the order
The videos disagree, and both are right for their job:
- Lowe’s: top down, ceiling, then walls, then trim. The ceiling edges get masked after it dries, before the walls.
- This Old House: ceiling, then trim, then walls, because it is easier to cut in the walls after the trim is painted. Its trim got semi-gloss and its walls eggshell.
Pick one and stay with it. If your trim is staying, tape it and use the Lowe’s order. If you are painting new trim, do the trim first.
Step 5: Cut in
Cutting in is brushing a 2 to 3 inch band along the ceiling, baseboards, corners, frames and hinges, so the roller can do the rest. The Home Depot video says to cut in and roll one wall at a time, so wet paint blends with wet paint. If you cut in the whole room first, the borders can dry and leave a slight difference in sheen.
Lowe’s tips: use a smaller cut bucket, dip the brush about a third of the way in, tap it on the side instead of scraping, hold it like a pencil, and feather the edges so there are no runs. When cutting in with tape, brush onto the wall first, not the tape.
Step 6: Roll
- Dampen the roller cover, then dip just a little into the paint and roll a few times. Do not submerge it.
- Roll in a zig-zag, V or W pattern in sections of about three to four feet (Lowe’s says 4 ft, the Home Depot says 3 ft), top then bottom, and keep a wet edge.
- Reload the roller; don’t squeeze it.
- Lay off by lightly rolling down over painted areas to remove build-up and runs.
- Two coats, one wall at a time for each coat (Lowe’s).
Step 7: Tape off and clean up
Remove tape shortly after the paint dries, to prevent peeling. If it tears, slice through the dried paint with a utility knife and pull at a 45 degree angle. Check the maker’s instructions for the removal time. For latex paint, run the brush under water, work the bristles with a brush comb and hand cleaner, and rinse. For a break, Lowe’s says to cover the bucket and wrap the brush and roller, and they can go in the fridge if you will use them the next day.
Choose a finish
This Old House’s list: high gloss (easy to clean, hard to apply), semi-gloss (good for trim, easy to clean), satin (less durable, popular for cabinetry), eggshell (flatter, good for walls) and matte (no sheen, hard to clean, not good for high-traffic areas).
Practice on scrap first
Paint a piece of scrap drywall or cardboard to practise the zig-zag and lay-off strokes before you start on a wall.
Mistakes to avoid
- Skipping the spackle and sanding.
- Painting from the can. Pour into a small bucket instead, because dust can get into the can.
- Pressing and squeezing the roller.
- Painting straight up and down in rows, which the Home Depot video says can leave a striped look.
Watch it done
- Paint a room, with all three videos, and the Painting system
- Tools: roller, foam brush, putty knife and utility knife
- Next: Install baseboard trim or Install vinyl plank flooring
Start with
Start with one small room or one wall, and spend the first hour on prep. Your first pass with the roller will go on a patched, sanded, taped wall, which is where the difference shows.
Sources
- Shown on this site, source of the coverage figure, order and rolling method. Paint a Room: Top-Down Order, Cutting In and Roller Technique (video, Lowe’s Home Improvement) Source
- Shown on this site, source of the trim-first order and the finish types. Painting a Room in the Right Order: Liquid Mask, Trim, Walls (video, This Old House) Source
- Shown on this site, source of the prep, primer and tape advice. Painting a Room: Prep, Priming, Cutting In and Rolling Steps (video, The Home Depot) Source
- US Environmental Protection Agency. Protect your family from sources of lead Source
- Health Canada. Chemical safety for do-it-yourself (DIY) projects and renovations Source