I'm preparing to paint our bedroom and bathroom this week. Any Special Tips?!!?

[cin]

Yup, I'm taking the plunge. I've been talking about doing this for about a year. My friend came over in the early spring and took down our border. We bought the paint over 4th of July (Behr sale) and I'm taking the plunge.

 

I know the bathroom walls need to be THOROUGHLY cleaned. Probably twice. Then I'll paint it. A lovely shade of lavender, on the pink side. Then I will start on the bedroom. A moss/sage green. There will be white trim and doors in both rooms.

 

Any hints from experienced painters, and things the non-experienced have learned along the way would be GREATLY appreciated!!! I've never done this completely on my own before. I've painted trim work only. DH has always done the BIG STUFF, but if I keep waiting for him, it'll NEVER get done.

 

Thanks!!

[Jen500]

My tip is to take a break when you're getting tired. Every time I paint when I'm tired I get sloppy. I think bathrooms take more concentration.

[stephanie]

Yup, I'm taking the plunge. I've been talking about doing this for about a year. My friend came over in the early spring and took down our border. We bought the paint over 4th of July (Behr sale) and I'm taking the plunge.

 

I know the bathroom walls need to be THOROUGHLY cleaned. Probably twice. Then I'll paint it. A lovely shade of lavender, on the pink side. Then I will start on the bedroom. A moss/sage green. There will be white trim and doors in both rooms.

 

Any hints from experienced painters, and things the non-experienced have learned along the way would be GREATLY appreciated!!! I've never done this completely on my own before. I've painted trim work only. DH has always done the BIG STUFF, but if I keep waiting for him, it'll NEVER get done.

 

Thanks!!

 

Don't let the kids "help"!

Get plenty of brushes, rollers, pans, tape, and paint.

Don't leave your paint lid turned upside down on the carpet....it leaves a really big stain that you'll then have to go out to Walmart and buy a rug to cover it up!

As a matter of fact, buy some of those lids that have a spout already on it so you won't have to keep taking the lid off the can...they work wonderfully.

Label your can in a black sharpee -write down which room the paint goes for in case your dc run through like a bunch of banshees, knocking a metal frame off the wall, putting a big gash in it, resulting in much needed touch-ups!

Make sure you're not wearing your American Eagle shorts that you just paid $40 for.

Always know where your paint pan is so you don't take a step back into it.

Watch out for those stinkers I like to call "Holidays"...you know, little patches of wall that you missed...where the paint took a holiday.

 

Ok, I think that's it for today...I'll check back with you tomorrow when we're finished painting to let you know of any other "tips".

 

Oh yeah, don't forget to pull in the baseboards from the driveway when the hurricane force rains come in...big no-no!

[lynn]

Yup, I'm taking the plunge. I've been talking about doing this for about a year. My friend came over in the early spring and took down our border. We bought the paint over 4th of July (Behr sale) and I'm taking the plunge.

 

I know the bathroom walls need to be THOROUGHLY cleaned. Probably twice. Then I'll paint it. A lovely shade of lavender, on the pink side. Then I will start on the bedroom. A moss/sage green. There will be white trim and doors in both rooms.

 

Any hints from experienced painters, and things the non-experienced have learned along the way would be GREATLY appreciated!!! I've never done this completely on my own before. I've painted trim work only. DH has always done the BIG STUFF, but if I keep waiting for him, it'll NEVER get done.

 

Thanks!!

 

Be sure to dust the walls, patch, sand then dust again. Check corners for cob webs, clean base boards well. Be sure to tape off, keep some damp paper towels and a garbage can near by. Have foil and/or plastic bags for paint brushes/rollers, ready if you have to stop. Be sure to have a good paint brush for cutting in, take your time and stand back to check for any runs or spots you may have missed once you finished a section of wall. I use the paint brush and lightly go over any areas that need to blend better. Oh and some good music helps:D. Have fun.

[OH Kim]

Blue masking tape - and use a razor or a sharp knife to cut the paint if you got some on the tape.

[Ferdie]

If your bathroom walls have a semi-gloss finish you need to sand or TSP them before you paint.

 

Do the cut in work first, then roll. Much easier.

 

If you take an overnight break, freeze your roller/brush and they will be good to go the next morning.

 

Have fun. You are going to love it when your done.

[yslek]

When we painted our kitchen red, we bought the special tinted primer that was recommended for the paint we were using. It was expensive, but the result was the exact shade we wanted. :)

 

My friend told me about painting her bathroom red, and not using primer. She ended up using something like 10 coats of paint. :w00t:

 

Good luck with your painting!

 

Kelsy

[milovany]

My tip: With a steady hand and eye, learn to cut in around the edges with a paint brush instead of taping things off and just slapping paint on (thinking the taped off area will absolutely protect the under-tape area from paint! It doesn't always). A couple of paint jobs ago I decided to try cutting in instead of painting and am so glad I did. It takes time, but it looks so much better and is actually kind of fun (lol). You need a good slanty brush for cutting in.

 

Just. get. it. done. I'm of the opposite mindset of a previous post-er. I just go and go and go until I'm done with that color/room. I don't want to clean up and get it all out again.

 

Have hubby do the ceiling if at all possible. That's the one I absolutely don't like to do.

 

The big walls seem daunting, but they actually go fast. I like doing the big walls! I'm a big "put a LOT of paint on the roller" (not dripping) kind of gal. See above: just.get.it.done, lol.

 

What else? Oh, this one and I don't like to say it: But once you're all done, what if you don't LOVE the paint color after all???? Ack! I've had this happen. I picked out a "linen" color that I wanted to be a light, light brown but on the wall it ended up looking *pink*. I lived with it -- hating it -- for a year before I finally painted it a chocolate brown. I loved it after I painted it and kicked myself for waiting so long to repaint.

 

Hope this helps!!!! Have fun!

[Suzanne in ABQ]

If at all possible, use a canvas cloth drop cloth instead of plastic. A drip of paint on plastic stays wet for hours, and you step on it, then track it all over the place. The same drop of paint on canvas just sort of stays put. If you step on it, it wipes away on your next step so you don't track it as easily. Canvas is also a lot less sweaty and uncomfortable on your feet, or when you need to sit to do baseboards.

 

I agree that it's usually easier to cut in with a 2 1/2 inch angled brush (a new one, if possible) than it is to tape everything, then paint, then remove the tape. If you do use tape, remove it while the paint is still wet (if possible). That will prevent the paint from peeling the dry paint off the walls.

 

Cover everything with plastic. Paint rollers throw little splatters of paint everywhere, even across the room if you're really moving.

 

Keep a wet edge, especially if you're using semi-gloss paint. If you put wet paint on a dry edge, you'll get a flash of super glossy paint that will show after all the paint is dry. It's not usually a problem in a bathroom because the walls are smaller. But, don't start a semi-gloss wall unless you know you can finish it.

 

That's all I can think of, other than what's already been said.

 

Have fun!

[DIY-DY]

Yup, I'm taking the plunge. I've been talking about doing this for about a year. My friend came over in the early spring and took down our border. We bought the paint over 4th of July (Behr sale) and I'm taking the plunge.

 

I know the bathroom walls need to be THOROUGHLY cleaned. Probably twice. Then I'll paint it. A lovely shade of lavender, on the pink side. Then I will start on the bedroom. A moss/sage green. There will be white trim and doors in both rooms.

 

Any hints from experienced painters, and things the non-experienced have learned along the way would be GREATLY appreciated!!! I've never done this completely on my own before. I've painted trim work only. DH has always done the BIG STUFF, but if I keep waiting for him, it'll NEVER get done.

 

Thanks!!

 

Prep work is a nightmare. It feels never-ending. It's tedious and feels so non-gratifying. But keep it up b/c once it's done, it makes the actual painting a BREEZE. And when you're done, it makes the end result FANTASTIC. And when it's all dried and everything is put back in place, you want to be able to put your feet up, stare at your beautiful walls, and say that you won't have to do that again for a long, long time. (As opposed to sitting back and then choking on your first sip of your Reward Beverage when you spot what seems to you a glaring goober, thus heightening your goober-sights and making you want to climb under the bed and cry. Not that I know that feeling or anything... oh, yes. Yes, I do. And you don't want to do that.) So fawn all over your prep work. And know that it'll be well worth it.

 

Dy

[Amy in Orlando]

Prep work is a nightmare. It feels never-ending. It's tedious and feels so non-gratifying. But keep it up b/c once it's done, it makes the actual painting a BREEZE. And when you're done, it makes the end result FANTASTIC. And when it's all dried and everything is put back in place, you want to be able to put your feet up, stare at your beautiful walls, and say that you won't have to do that again for a long, long time. (As opposed to sitting back and then choking on your first sip of your Reward Beverage when you spot what seems to you a glaring goober, thus heightening your goober-sights and making you want to climb under the bed and cry. Not that I know that feeling or anything... oh, yes. Yes, I do. And you don't want to do that.) So fawn all over your prep work. And know that it'll be well worth it.

 

Dy

 

:iagree: Prep work is key! I second the learning to cut in without tape and the canvas drop cloths as well. (As I sit here typing and avoiding finishing painting my celing :lol::lol:)

 

I hope we can see before and after pics!

[Mamasteff]

DO cut in, but DON'T cut in all the way around first- it makes it look band-y. Just cut in the area you are doing, a bit at a time. That way you do get to take a break when your arm is tired from rolling walls or ceiling.

 

Just finished dd's room and wondering why it took me so long to get around to it - I love seeing something I did at home that isn't going to be a mess again tomorrow. What else can I slap some paint on? the dirty dishes in the sink?