Welcome back, I hope you are ready to paint with me today! Paying a professional to paint your room is a waste of money. I’m here today to show you all the tips and tricks to Paint Your Room Like a Pro! If you’re just popping in, this week is Paint Week!
If you missed any of the paint week posts, here’s the recap:
- Monday: How to Pick Your Paint Color
- Tuesday: How to Pick the Paint Sheens and Paint Types
- Wednesday: Prepping to Paint Your Room Like a Pro
- Thursday: How to Paint Your Room Like a Pro
- Friday: Top 15 Must Have Paint Tools
Painting your room like a pro isn’t difficult, it does require the right tools, patience and the willingness to paint 2-3 coats if necessary.
Materials:
- Paint tray
- Paint roller with a 1/2″Â nap for smooth walls. (5/8″ nap for textured walls)
- 2.5″ angled painter’s brush
- 1″ square artists brush
- X-acto knife
- Edger
- Painter’s tape
- Damp rag
- Sanding block with 200 grit or higher sand paper
- Extension pole for paint roller
- Step stool or platform
- Moveable light or spotlight
Are you all dressed up in your Sunday best? Go ahead and get changed into your paint clothes because you want to look like the Pros (and save your clothes from being damaged.)
When I paint a room, I always paint the ceiling first, unless it REALLY doesn’t need painting. It is more efficient to paint the whole room while you have the tarps down and supplies out. Besides, you know you won’t go back and paint the ceiling another day. Am I right?
Painting Ceilings:
I’m not going to lie, painting ceilings is a pain in the neck, literally! You will definitely need an extension pole to get the ceiling painted. If you have 20 foot ceilings, you might want to go ahead and hire a pro. Otherwise, this is definitely a DIY task, so let’s get this ceiling painting party started!
I’m going to assume that you are working with a previously painted ceiling. If you have newly drywalled or scraped ceilings, you’ll need to prime first.
Begin by lightly sanding the ceiling. This should knock off any bumps and will lift any dust or dirt.
Wipe off the sanding dust with a damp rag or sponge.I found using a damp swiffer mop works great and cuts the time in half. (Of course if you have textured ceilings, you won’t be sanding or wiping with a damp rag. You can use a brush attachment and vacuum the ceiling.)
AND NOW, the moment you all have been waiting for — it’s time to crack open that can of paint!
Don’t use just any old paint for this job. First choose a flat finish, it will show less imperfections.
I prefer the Valspar Ultra White paint because it is the brightest white I’ve found. (Side note: Valspar has changed their formula to add primer to the paint. I don’t think the coverage is as good as the previous formula. But, it is still the brightest white I’ve found so I still prefer it.)
When choosing a roller use 1/2″ nap. It will hold more paint and you will be able to paint faster. To speed up the painting process even more, purchase the HomeRight EZ-Twist Paint Stick (affiliate link.) You can read my review, and see why I love the HomeRight Paint Stick. Use a fresh roller for each coat. It makes a difference to have a new roller, trust me.
Start by edging around your ceiling. Use an edge roller or a paint brush to line the perimeter of the ceiling. You can use painter’s tape if you wish, or if you have a steady hand you can skip the taping. (If you are painting your walls or crown molding, you can skip the taping as well and paint the molding after you finish with the ceiling and walls.)
Pour your paint into the paint tray and start painting in one corner. Paint in random directions. Now isn’t the time to practice perfectly straight racing stripes. Read more
