Small Home Upgrades that Make a Big Difference
While we're in the kitchen, let's address another simple change that can be made – adding a backsplash. A quick trip to Lowe's or Home Depot ...
techniques
Possibly one of the most affordable and instantly recognizable changes you can make is painting the walls in a room. It can make a small room look bigger, brighten up a dark room, and simply refresh the style of a room. If you do this yourself it won’t cost a lot. Don’t just wing it though, you want it to look good. Take a little time and learn about <anchor>techniques</anchor> to make the most of your paint job.
How To Paint a Room: A 13 Step Guide to Perfect Painting - This Old House
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# How To Paint a Room Perfectly in 13 Steps

What does it take and how much does it cost to paint a room? Watch our video and read our easy instructions on how to prep and paint like a pro.

A new coat of paint can transform your spaces without breaking the bank. All you need are a few of the right techniques and tools to paint like a pro.

To refresh her dining room, newlywed homeowner Rebecca Brown enlisted the help of Mauro Henrique, who has been the painting contractor on about a dozen This Old House TV projects. Watch and learn with her as Henrique explains how to choose paint quality and sheen, what to look for at the store, and how to brush and roll each surface of your room efficiently.

## Choosing the Right Paint

Consider these factors to choose the best paint for your project.

### Paint Quality

High-quality paint may cost more, but it’ll also give you better coverage and durability. It often contains ingredients that enhance the texture and boost surface adhesion, so you can get a professional-grade job that lasts longer.

### Paint Sheen

The paint’s sheen affects both its appearance and functionality. There are five basic types or levels of sheen, including the following:

- High gloss: High-gloss paint is very shiny and easy to clean, but not as easy to apply since every brushstroke is visible.
- Semi-gloss: Semi-gloss is another easily-cleaned, durable sheen ideal for trim and doors.
- Satin: Satin has less luster compared to semigloss and is popular for painting cabinetry.
- Eggshell: Eggshell is Henrique’s top choice for most walls and has a low sheen. It’s enough to reflect the right amount of light and hide imperfections.
- Flat or matte: Flats and mattes are great at hiding imperfections, but they’re more easily stained, scratched, and dinged. They look their best on ceilings.

### Volatile Organic Compounds

Choose paints with low or zero volatile organic compounds (VOCs) if you can. VOCs cause headaches and respiratory irritation, and they’re also known to cause cancer. Paints outgas (VOCs leave the pain and enter the surrounding air at room temperature) the most when you apply them and continue for weeks afterward. Henrique prefers paint with 50 grams per liter or less of VOCs.

### Paint-Primer Combos

“The whole industry is shifting to combination primer and paint,” says Mauro. “That’s a good thing since a lot of people skip the primer, and the combination is better than nothing.” Still, for an unfinished or problem surface, he always uses a stand-alone primer. And if he’ll be using dark paint, he tints the primer with about 80% of the paint color to make sure two topcoats will do the job.

## How To Paint a Room in 13 Steps

### 1. Know Your Approach

A labeled diagram showing the steps required to paint a building.Illustration by Doug Adams

Painting is ultimately a logical, step-by-step project. Our illustration above helps you determine the steps that are top priority.

### 2. Take Off Hardware

A man using a screwdriver to remove hardware from a window.Photo by Anthony Tieuli

First, remove and set aside window hardware, door strikes, electrical cover plates, and light fixtures. Paint that gets on metal surfaces like these will be difficult to clean off.

As each piece comes off, Henrique tapes on the corresponding screws and fasteners, writes its location on the tape, and puts everything in a bucket in the same room.

### 3. Protect the Floors and Sand the Surfaces

Tape being put down to protect a floor from paint.Photo by Anthony Tieuli

Apply painter’s tape to the floor alongside the baseboard, then tape sheets of rosin paper to this strip. Cover the paper with drop cloths.

Next, it’s time to do some sanding. By taking off tough patches, you’ll ultimately get a better surface for paint to adhere to. Start by scuff-sanding the trim and windows with 220-grit paper. Remove the dust with a HEPA vacuum, then a damp rag.

If you know the paint is over 40 years old, wait to sand it until you test it for lead. Don’t risk releasing harmful lead dust into the air.

### 4. Guard Windows and Glass

Glass masking liquid being applied to a window with a brush.Photo by Anthony Tieuli

Using a 2-inch flat (square-tipped) trim brush, apply two coats of glass-masking liquid. This innovative method takes less time than tape and forms a clear, no-bleed barrier. If a little liquid gets on the sash, all you have to do is wait for it to dry and paint over it.

Brushes and masking liquid are available for purchase at The Home Depot.

### 5. Paint the Top Window Sashes

A man using a paint brush to paint the window sashes.Photo by Anthony Tieuli

Open the sash slightly and paint the edges next to the glass with a 1½-inch angled sash brush. Don’t touch the lower rail yet. Now coat the sash’s top and side faces. A taping knife, shown above, keeps paint off jambs and window trim.

### 6. Painting the Bottom Window Sashes

A man using a brush to paint the bottom sashes of a window.Photo by Anthony Tieuli

As in the last step, open the sash slightly and paint the inside edges, then the sash face. Next, raise it fully and lower the top sash. Paint its bottom rail and any missed parts. Leave both sashes open for at least 90 minutes so the paint can dry.

### 7. Caulk Seams and Corners

Caulk being applied to the seem of a window.Photo by Anthony Tieuli

The fewer open seams around your trim, the better your wall will look. Cut a caulk tube close to the tip to get a small bead, then load the tube into your caulk gun. Squeeze the trigger just enough to maintain a continuous flow of sealant as you pull the tip over the seam. Smooth the bead with a finger wrapped in a damp rag, then let the caulk set according to the instructions on the tube.

### 8. Fill Trim Defects

A man filling a trim defect with a coat of paint.Photo by Anthony Tieuli

Using a light held at a low angle to the surface, look for dings and small holes. Fill them with two coats of water-based wood filler applied with a flexible putty knife. After each coat dries, smooth with 220-grit sandpaper. Fill large, deep holes with a fast-setting, two-part wood filler, and sand before painting.

### 9. Painting Trim: Brush the Trim

A man painting the trim of a indow.Photo by Anthony Tieuli

A brush follows molding contours and leaves a smoother finish than a roller. Ideally, your brush should be wide enough to span the trim’s face in one pass without lapping over the edges. Paint the face, then the edges. When the first coat is dry, in about 90 minutes, apply a second coat.

### 10. Cut-in Around Trim and at Corners

A man using a brush to paint the edges of walls and windows.Photo by Anthony Tieuli

Cutting-in is a brush technique that lets you put paint in areas a roller can’t easily reach. Next to trim and the ceiling, it also forms a crisp paint line that would be impossible with a roller alone.

Along the perimeter of a wall, where it meets the trim, the ceiling, and other walls, brush on a 1½- to 2-inch-wide stripe of the wall color. To get the best results, use long, steady strokes and a brush that isn’t overloaded with paint. Henrique prefers to cut-in with a 2½-inch-wide angled sash brush. For maximum control, he grips it at the ferrule, with his fingers as close to the bristles as possible.

### 11. Start Painting the Walls

A man using a paint roller to paint walls.Photo by Anthony Tieuli

Paint about 3 to 4 square feet of wall at a time. Pour some paint into the reservoir of a paint tray, dip the roller cover in, then distribute the paint evenly by rolling the cover over the ridged part of the tray. Bring the roller up to the wall, and using modest speed and a controlled motion, roll on a W shape to quickly get paint off the roller and onto the wall (A).

Fill in the gaps and spread the paint film evenly over the entire area (B) before returning to the pan for more paint. Repeat the process as you move across the wall, overlapping each section 30 to 40 percent over the previous area (C).

Work from the top of the wall downward to flatten any drips. Don’t apply too much pressure—that will cause ridges of paint to form at the ends of the roller—and don’t worry if you can see through the first coat. “Focus on getting it smooth and even,” Henrique says, “and don’t try to stretch the paint.”

### 12. Roll the Perimeter of the Walls

A man using a roller to paint the perimeter of a wall.Photo by Anthony Tieuli

To hide the texture of the brushstrokes made when you did your cutting-in, run a lightly loaded roller as close as possible to corners or the edges of the trim. At the top of the wall, you’ll have to climb a stepladder or use an extension pole. When this first coat is dry, in about 90 minutes, cut-in again and cover the entire wall with a second coat. Apply a third coat if necessary.

If you need to take a break in between coats, store your brushes and rollers in plastic wrap. This keeps the paint from drying out and lets you resume painting without needing to clean your tools each time.

### 13. Clean Up

A man removing a masking membrane from a window after painting.Photo by Anthony Tieuli

After the paint has dried overnight, use a utility knife to score around the edges of each pane, then pull off the rubbery masking membrane as shown. Next, shut the windows and reattach the window hardware, light fixtures, and electrical covers. Remove the painter’s tape, rosin paper, and drop cloths.

Remember that latex paints take one to two weeks to fully cure, so don’t scrub or rub the finish during that time, and clean the room slowly to avoid raising dust.

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