You’ve been looking through magazines and dreaming of paint colors. You want to paint but it seems like so much work. Here’s our simple guide on how to paint your home.
How to Paint Your Home
Picking your colors
Start with picking your paint colors. You may find this a fun process. It may thrill you to go to the paint store and pick out paint chips. For others, this might stress you out. If you find that picking a color palette is a bit stressful, here’s a great resource that helps you explore color palettes that could work in your home. In addition, you can search on Pinterest using the search term: house interior color palette for hundreds of ideas on color!
Once you have a few fan favorites, head to your favorite paint store for paint samples. These are relatively inexpensive. There are two ways you can test the colors in your home. You can either paint small samples directly onto your walls or paint a piece of foam board that can be moved from room to room. Regardless of your approach, be sure to look at the prospective paint colors at different times of the day. See how they look in different lighting. Compare the colors beside key furniture pieces in the room. Ask yourself, “Do I love this color?” It may take time to find the right colors for you. Don’t rush the process.
Measurements
Once you’ve decided on your paint colors, you need to measure your walls to determine how much paint you need. Typically, one gallon of paint covers 400 square feet. To measure the size of your walls, multiply the height of each wall by the width of each wall. For example, if a wall is 10ft high and 8ft wide, the measurement would be 80 square feet per wall. A room that has four walls of equal size would be 320 square feet total.
Purchase Supplies
Be sure to buy high-quality items. This is an investment of your time. You want to make sure that the process is simple and lasts!
Here’s a list of items you need to be successful when painting your walls.
- Primer– This is used to create a base coating on the walls. Paint will adhere better when primer is used. Some paints have the primer included in the paint.
- Paint– There are different types of paint including matte paint, matte enamel, satin, eggshell, semi-gloss and gloss. Matte paint is the most commonly used type of paint.
- Roller cover and frame– Rollers make it easy to spread paint over a large surface in a short amount of time.
- Brushes– These are great for painting the edges and hard to reach areas of a room.
- Paint Trays– These come in plastic and metal and are great for holding a small amount of paint.
- Drop cloths– Use these to keep your paint area clean.
- Painters Tape– This tape is used to help keep your painting surfaces neater.
- Extension Pole– These make it easier to paint larger walls and ceilings.
Here’s a great video tutorial for choosing the right brush.
Preparation
Before you begin painting, you need to prepare your space. Start by cleaning the wall. Dust the ceiling and wipe down all light fixtures. Remove outlet covers and light switch plates. Cover all flooring and furniture with drop cloths. Using painter’s tape, tape off door frames, windows, crown molding and floor trim to ensure clean paint lines. Look over the space and sand all rough spots and fill in any holes. Wipe clean. Starting at the top of the wall and moving down, paint each wall with primer. Depending on the type of primer, and the level of humidity, it can take anywhere from 30 minutes to one and a half hours for the primer to dry.
Next, box your paint, which means combining all the paint into a larger container. Mix it well. The reason for combining it is to ensure there are no discrepancies in color between the paint cans.
Have fun painting!
Once your walls are primed, it’s time to add color to your walls! Start by painting all the hard to reach areas and edges with a paintbrush. This is called cutting in. You do this because these areas are too tight for rollers. Next, grab a roller. Pour paint into the paint tray. Dip the roller into the paint, and then roll against the tray to remove excess paint and even out the paint on the roller. In the same manner as you applied the primer, start at the top of the wall and work your way down rolling in a zigzag pattern. Continue until the entire wall is covered. Depending on the type of paint, you’ll need to wait anywhere from 2-24 hours for the paint to dry. Then you can apply a second coat of paint. When the paint is dry, remove all the painters tape and drop cloths. Secure outlet covers and light switches. Move the furniture back and enjoy your freshly painted space!
Painting can be fun if you’re planning on staying in your home for a long time. However, if you’re ready to sell, you can skip the painting and sell to Ben Buys Indy Houses. Ben is an accredited home buyer in the Indianapolis area. Contact us for a fair and quick AS-IS purchase of your home!
