In What Order Do You Paint The Interior of a House?
Are you considering painting the interior of your home and wondering in what order do you paint?
With careful preparation and painting techniques, painting an interior room may not be as hard as you have thought, but it does take time and patience.
This article outlines and answers your questions on what order do you paint to achieve optimum results.
Planning and Preparation
The organization is key to any paint project. Do your prep work a day or two before so you are ready to begin when the time is right.
- Take down pictures frames, sconces and everything else that is on the walls.
- Move furniture out of the room.
- If you cannot move furniture elsewhere, try to move to the center of the room or far enough away from the walls so you can move around freely. Do not forget to cover the furnishings with drop cloths.
- Disconnect and remove hanging lighting fixtures such as chandeliers, electrical switches and outlet covers. Make sure to put any screws in a safe place so as not to lose them.
- Cover the floor with drop cloths or large pieces of cardboard if you just purchased new furniture. Please make sure they are secure so as not to move while painting.
- Designate an area in the room that is easy to access to keep your paint tools. It can be in a closet, in a corner or on an aluminum slim fold work platform ladder.
Clean and Repair
- Scrape flaking paint.
- Spackle imperfections.
- For larger holes in drywall, add a patch, then spackle over.
- For larger holes in plaster, bridge the gap with fiberglass tape, than spackle.
- Allow to dry than sand the areas.
- Clean all areas with a damp sponge
Prep the Room
When you are ready to start preparation and painting first open all windows for adequate ventilation. Even though the paints of today are lower in volatile organic compounds, (VOCs) and less noxious it is still vital to have a work area that has sufficient ventilation.
Then follow the steps below.
It is always best to paint on dry surfaces. If the room is damp, first close the windows and run the air conditioner or dehumidifier before applying the paint.
Apply painter’s tape around all windows, closet and door trim, ceiling moldings and baseboard. If you have a steady hand you may not need to do so. Do not go cheap. Purchasing a high-quality painter’s tape of superior quality is well worth the extra cost. It will be easier to remove and help you to achieve a sharper paint line.
Paint all areas with primer to provide the right surface foundation so as to achieve optimum painting results.
Prep The Paint and Materials
Rule #1. Never go cheap. You may regret it in the end. If this is a DIY weekend project you intend to finish by Sunday night, by going cheap, you may find this goal is not achievable. Where you expected to paint one coat, it can turn out where you need at least two and perhaps three. Benjamin Moore’s paints are of high quality.
Next, come the brushes and rollers. Paint rollers have various naps with different fiber lengths that go with different types of paint and desired finishes. For example, a rough surface will need a longer roller nap.
A different roller and brush will also be used for oil-based vs. latex or water-based paints.
Shake the paint can well, and after opening, use a paint stick to mix frequently. Make sure to stir the entire from the bottom on up so pigments cannot settle at the bottom.
For smaller areas such as the trims, pour the paint into a hand-held handy paint cup and pail.
Put plastic inserts into paint trays. This makes the clean-up easier and faster. Then, simply toss the plastic inserts into the garbage.
The Order in Which To Paint
So, when painting which is the correct order? For example, when painting a house, do you paint the trim first or last?
It is essential to paint in the proper order to avoid drips and splatters on the already painted area. Below we discuss the correct order to paint to achieve optimum results.
1. Ceiling
Start with painting the ceiling.
First, paint the ceiling where it meets the walls with a brush with a strip approximately 2 inches wide.
Next, grab the paint roller with an extension pole. The paint roller can be a standard size or larger, depending on the size of the room. Start in the corner and work across the short side of the room.
2. Walls
Like the ceiling, start painting a two-inch strip along the ceiling, floor, trims, and sides if you are painting the walls in different colors.
Continue painting with a roller using the extension pole in the higher wall sections.
3. Trims
Now you can continue painting the window trims and door frames.
4. Floor
If you are painting or staining a wood floor, this is the last area to paint or stain. Again, start painting a 2-inch wide strip around the edges where the floor meets the wall then continue rolling.
Need Help With Your Interior Painting Project
Painting projects need the proper preparations and techniques to achieve the best results. Knowing, what order do you paint is vital. If you are up for the task, great! If not, by hiring the right professional painting contractor, you can be assured the outcome will be incredible.
Carolina Blue Painting would like to be your preferred professional painting contracting company of choice. We have a long list of delighted customers we will be happy to share with you.
Contact us today to learn more about us, our painting services and what we can do for you.