Painting The Family Room

With all the snow and cold weather lately, a good mid winter project would be painting the family room.  And now that the Super Bowl is over, and baseball is still two months away, you finally have some free time. If you follow these instructions, the whole job will be done by Sunday.

Preparation

If you have some joint compound, repair all cracks, screw or nail holes.  If the crack is two inches or longer, you will need some taper’s paper.  Apply the compound first, then put the paper on and wipe with a 4” putty knife.  Next go around and fill all the nail holes and any small holes in the walls.  Start that tonight and tomorrow go over all the spots again with just compound.  If you need to do it one more time, that’s okay,  it will still be ready for the Saturday paint job.

Light Sand

Now on Saturday morning, lightly sand the walls with a fine sand paper on a sanding stick and vacuum up the dust. 

Painter Tape

If you want, you can use painter’s tape to help with the cut-in or do it free hand.  Once you have the room cut-in, use a 9” roller with a 3/8” cover.  Roll your walls in two directions for a better coverage and finish with long strokes for a nice smooth finish.

Trim

If your trim is painted, now is the time to paint the base, window and door trim.  Use a 2 ½” brush and apply one even coat on the trim.

Quality Paint

If you are painting one room and will use between one and two gallon of paint, buy a high quality paint.  Benjamin Moore or Sherwin Williams have some quality paint at around $38 per gallon.  This paint will go on much smoother, cover better and last much longer than a low end paint.  It will be much better in the long run.  Don’t be afraid to use some different colors.  It is a great way to make the room stand out. 

Remember any questions on painting or any other home project, will be answered if you email me at William.petrone@yahoo.com.  Your Blue Thumb Builder, Bill.