I've never painted before, can you offer me some advice?

Question

I promised my wife that I'd paint our spare bedroom tommorow morning and have been to B&Q to get everything we need. We're simply painting it White and will probably then add all the accesories in there, so I've basically bought the paint and a roller brush set. To be honest I'm a little worried incase I mess it up but the walls are all really smooth and my wife says it's simply a case of putting the pain on the wall, or is it?

Anything tips you can offer are greatly appreciated,

Thank you.

Answer 1

Wash your walls with a solution of TSP, then rinse.  The instructions are on the packaging.  That way, you can be sure your paint is going to stick.  Then follow the above instructions in reference to covering, taping, cutting in, etc.  

Don't skimp on your paint or your brushes.  A better brand will give you good coverage on the first coat, better on the second, and then you just have to look for "holidays" in the paint during different times of the day.  Read the label and follow the instructions for application.  They know what they're talking about.

When you need to take a break, cover your rolling pan with a plastic trash bag.  Put another plastic bag over your roller, and store it in the refrigerator.  This will even work overnight.  "Do not freeze!"

Answer 2

That's kind of true, what your wife is lying to you about:) but do the ceiling first........cut in with a brush at least 3'' out around light fixtures and corners.....so that your roller will do the job correctly.....mask plug and switches........take all outlet covers off and drape doors and windows and tarp floor....nothing to it........have a bench to stand on.........that's for the wife, who says there's nothing to it..........she becomes the flunky who does the cut in........you roll.......if it"s smooth wall you need a good 3/8 nap roller........and don't be afraid to back roll.........watch for paint over lays.......get it to lay flat and nice...........good luck........and mask the base and trim....pull tape and wipe very quickly........just a putty knife in a dry rag to wipe close to trim edges.......enough.....practice:)

Answer 3

Painting is easy and fun. Just make sure you primer the wall first, because then it will take a LOT less coats. Primer is a life saver.

Answer 4

Don't be afraid to buy a really good paint brush, you can clean them and use them forever and they are far superior to the cheap-o ones. I like the ones with the angled tip for cutting in along the ceiling.

Answer 5

ok my hubby is a painter, so maybe this'll help...cover everything you don't want painted(bed,nightstand,dresser,etc.)with plastic. Be sure to move everything a few feet away from the wall. Then get yourself a dropcloth or two depending on how big the room is to cover the floor.Start by cutting in (painting baseboards and around outlets and windows and doors) with a trim brush (appr. 1-2 inches in size).Then use the roller to roll out the rest of the walls. Make sure not to put too much paint on the roller or the brush so you don't get any runs in the paint(spots where it drips down the wall). When the first coat dries, do the same for the second coat,unless you only want one coat.If that's the case then all you have left is the touch up work...places where you might have missed or bumped with the roller or brush. And then hwen its all dry, remove the plastic and dropcloths and move everything back! voila!

Answer 6

Open plastic garbage bags to place on floor

Use maskin tape to tape around things you don't want paint on.

Answer 7

use masking tape on the floor at the baseboards to prevent the floor from getting damaged. Use plastic drop cloths and cover the floor. you'll want to mask off the windows if your painting the windows. Don't sweat it because painting is easy. You'll be a pro in no time.

Answer 8

Use a decent brush . Not a cheapo one , the bristles fall out and pee you off .. make sure surfaces are clean and free from dust and cobwebs etc.  next ,  masking tape round windows . . . and anything u don`t want painted .. dust sheets on the floor ...old clothes ..I wear jimjams and a cap !  

Cut in with your brush about 3 inches ..round doors and all edges .. then use your roller ..   firm strokes backwards and forwards .. oh shush !  don`t overload your brush or u will make a drippy old mess ..You will need to do the ceiling twice ..get your wife to help if she reckons its easy ..  ha ha

Answer 9

first of all make sure your wearing really old clothes.                          then you need to wipe around the window sills and skirting boards to remove old dust and grime, the roller might not get right into the corners so you"ll probably need to do that with a small paintbrush.

also make sure you place a large dust sheet on the floor to catch any drips, your wife"s right jason, it"s a piece of cake, and i"m sure you"ll do a great job...

Answer 10

Yes, as the others have said, put masking tape over the skirtings etc and round the switches.  Think the secret is to cut in first, ie, use a fairly fine brush at the edges to get a sharp even line.  Don't be tempted to put too much paint on the roller but you'll soon see how easy it is to get it on evenly.  And yes, you do need to cover everything you don't want to get paint on (including wearing a hat!) as the paint spots go everywhere.  You'll never pay out for a decorator again! Enjoy and good luck.

Answer 11

Cover the floor because the roller can splatter tiny bits of paint.  I usually go around all the door frames, light sockets, skirting boards with a brush first and then use my roller to fill in the large areas.