We have all been there before.  You bought a new place and the paint just doesn’t seem right for your taste.  After, some consideration, you make a decision to paint the room yourself.  If you have never painted a room before you are eager to get started on such an “easy” home improvement project.  However, the reality of your decision to DIY your painting project is about to set in.

While painting is not the most difficult project to take on as a DIY’er it certainly can be made more difficult by not knowing the steps you need to take to paint a room.  Below is a step by step list of what you need to do when tackling a home painting project:

Step 1:  Game Plan! 

This means measuring the room, choosing paint colors, and scheduling the appropriate amount of time for your project. 

To measure the room it is always best to draw a diagram of the floor plan.  Then just measure each wall length and add it to your plan.  Measure the height of your walls as well.  You will need these measurements to determine how much paint you will need to buy.  One gallon of paint covers approximately 400 square feet of wall.  This means if you have 8 foot high ceilings and 50 feet of wall length, one gallon should be enough paint.

Choosing paint colors can be both fun and frustrating at the same time.  If you are doing this project with someone, two opinions sometimes are not better than one.  It is best to go to a paint store and bring home a handful of sample paint cards.  Pick out your top 3 favorite paint colors and then ask for small samples of each at the paint store.  Bring them home and paint small sections on the wall.  Most paint samples will look slightly different when placed on the wall depending on the lighting in the room.

If you are painting for the first time you will need to schedule some extra time to paint a room.  If you are painting trim work, walls, and the ceiling then you will need a full 8-10 hours of time to paint a 12’ by 12’ room.  The last thing you want to do is rush through the painting project so make sure you give yourself plenty of time to complete your room.

Step 2: Prep Work!

This means, gathering necessary tools, clearing out the room, patching holes or nicks in the walls, taping off windows and trim, and priming the walls if necessary.

Here is a rather complete list of tools and supplies you will need:

Drop Clothes, Paint Brushes, Paint Rollers, Paint Roller Brushes, Painters Tray, Painters pole, Spackle Knife, Spackle, Ladder, and old Clothing to wear.

Clearing out the room is an important step many overlook.  If at all possible remove everything from the room.  If items are too large to move out try to move them into the center of the room and cover them with drop clothes.  The more space you have to work the better off you will be.

Next lay drop clothes on the floor if you are not planning on replacing it.  If you do drop paint on the floor remove as quickly as possible.

Patch work is important for a professional looking paint job.  If you have any cracks, nicks, or holes in your drywall or other surface, use some spackle or putty and fill them.  Smooth those out with a putty knife and then sand smooth once they are dry. 

Painters tape can be a lifesaver for new and experienced painters.  Don’t skimp on cheap tape as you will be sorry when paint runs under it and ruins all of your hard work.  Blue painters tape works well to make edging easier and worry free.  If you have windows in the room use this tape around the trim work.  Firmly press it on so that paint doesn’t run under it.  It is made to peel off easy once painting is done.  VERY IMPORTANT:  It is always better to gently remove this tape while the paint is slightly wet.  So as soon as you are finished painting, remove it carefully.

Is it necessary to prime your walls?  Priming can be essential to a quality painting job.  Primer should be used almost any time you paint a room.  The only times you should not is if there is a white base paint already applied to your walls.  If you do a lot of spackle and patch work then priming is a must.

Step 3:  Getting to work!

It’s time to start painting.  Start by painting your trim work first.  Use an edging brush for this project.  Typically people will use an eggshell or semi-gloss paint for their trim work to help it stand out.

Once you complete your trim work it is time to crack open the larger paint buckets and edge your way around the room.  Using an edging paint brush, go around and paint every edge of your room.  This means all the corners, where the wall and ceiling meets, and around and closets, doors, or windows.  If you have two people this job goes much faster, so ask a friend or spouse to help.  NOTE: Take your time when edging your room.  It is the most important part of painting.  A bad edging job leaves the room looking sloppy and unprofessional.

After you have edged the room (you may need to do two coats), it is time to break out the rollers.  Using a roller is easy, but you have to make sure to remember a few things.  First, you want the roller completely full of paint, but not dripping.  Second, when you start to apply the paint press firmly, but not so hard that you see paint lines on your wall.  Nice even strokes of the roller works best.  For almost any project you will need to go around the room twice.  Two coats will fill in any missing spots from the first coat.

When you are finished with your second coat of paint, immediately start removing any painters tape you have on your walls.  Do this gently and with an even pressure.  DO NOT pull it off fast or you risk pulling off some paint as well.

Finally, do some cleanup of your supplies, replace your furniture, and sit back and enjoy your work!

If you have any questions for your painting project feel free to ask them below!