Four Steps for Interior House Painting

Interior painting is one of the most effective ways to refresh a home. Quality work can turn a faded, uninspiring room into one you enjoy spending time in. The secret to a quality interior paint job — or any painting project — is proper preparation. If the preparation is rushed, the finished result is unlikely to look as good as it should.

Preparing surfaces involves several steps, so it helps to outline the whole process and create a checklist before you start. A checklist lets you anticipate problems, have the right tools and supplies on hand, and keep track of where you are. You do not need every detail planned, but knowing the direction and the order of steps makes the work go more smoothly.

If you are painting your home yourself, these four major steps will help you follow a professional process. This is the process we follow on interior projects around the Kansas City area:

1. Move furniture to the center of the room, then cover floors and furniture thoroughly.
2. Fill holes, patch cracks and seal stains.
3. Prime repairs and sand or prime glossy surfaces, then apply a high-quality paint.
4. Touch up walls and trim for a clean finish.

It may sound simple, but each step has details that affect the result.

Step 1: Cover All Floors and Furniture

Start by protecting the room. Skipping this step can mean paint drops on furniture, carpet or hardwood that are not discovered until they have dried and set.

Move furniture to the center of the room and cover it, or remove it from the room entirely if you can. Painter's plastic works well for furniture. Use plastic film, drop cloths or tarps on the floor or carpet. Even when you are only painting a ceiling, cover the whole floor and all the furniture.

We use canvas drop cloths to protect floors. Besides catching paint, they give you a place to lay out tools, supplies and paint cans, so a spill or a dropped brush or roller lands on the cloth instead of the floor. With this step done well, you can work faster and make fewer mistakes.

Even with good protection, paint can occasionally get past your defenses. When it does, clean it up immediately while it is still wet — see the cleanup tips in Step 3.

Step 2: Fill Holes and Cracks, and Seal Stains

Surface preparation largely determines how good the finished project looks. Scrape away any loose, cracked or bubbling paint first.

Patch small holes, cracks and dents with a lightweight joint compound, using tape where needed. Do not try to fill deeper damage all at once; build it up in thin layers until the compound sits slightly above the wall surface. Once it is dry, sand the patch smooth and flush with the wall — a sanding sponge works well for this. Caulk gaps around windows and trim where needed.

Stains such as water marks, smoke or marker can bleed through new paint. Clean the surface first, then seal stubborn stains with a stain-blocking primer before painting.

Step 3: Prime, Choose Quality Paint and Apply

Prime Repairs and Problem Surfaces

Primer covers patches and taped joints so the finish coats look uniform. Prime unpainted drywall, drywall repairs, patches and freshly dried joint compound, and consider priming when painting over a dark color. When painting over a gloss or semi-gloss surface, sand it, prime it, or both.

Priming serves three main purposes:

• It helps keep stains from bleeding through.
• It evens out porosity and color, so the finish coats cover more uniformly and patches do not show as dull or shiny spots.
• It improves the paint's adhesion to the surface, which reduces the risk of later blistering or peeling.

Professionals often have the primer tinted toward the finish color, which can help coverage. Even with a good primer and quality paint, the number of finish coats depends on the surface, the color change and the product, so plan for full, even coverage rather than counting on a single coat.

Select a High-Quality Paint

Choosing paint can be a challenge. Cheaper paints are often not the best for coverage or durability. Higher-quality paints typically contain more solids — pigments and binders. Pigments are very finely ground particles that give paint its ability to hide the surface underneath, which is why higher-solids paints tend to cover stains and previous colors better. The solids content is usually listed on the product's technical data sheet, available from the retailer or the manufacturer's website.

The liquid portion of paint carries the pigments and evaporates as the paint dries. In latex paint it is mainly water; in oil-based paint it is mainly mineral spirits. A paint with a higher proportion of liquid may feel thick in the can, but as it evaporates it leaves a thinner dry film.

Apply Carefully and Clean Up as You Go

Drips and sags can form while painting, usually from applying too heavy a coat or thinning the paint too much. Keep a damp rag nearby to wipe them up right away. With latex paint, keep a rag and water on hand — warm water tends to lift spills more easily. With oil-based paint, use mineral spirits or the cleanup product the manufacturer recommends. If you are unsure how to handle a spill, a local painting contractor can offer guidance.

Make routine checks while you work. Look for splatters on adjacent trim, doors and baseboards and clean them as soon as possible. Check your shoes, too — it is easy to track paint through the house without noticing.

Step 4: Touch Up Walls and Trim

This step is often skipped, but it makes a big difference in the final appearance. After painting, look over the room for drips, bleed-through at taped edges and marks on baseboards or other trim.

It is best to catch drips while painting and wipe them up while wet. If you find any that dried, sand them smooth and touch up with the same paint. Use the same applicator you used originally where possible — if the wall was rolled, touch up with a roller to match the texture. For very small spots, a small brush will do. Careful touch-up is what makes a finished job look clean and crisp.

Choosing Colors and Low-Odor Products

For many homeowners, choosing colors is the most enjoyable part of a painting project. Whatever colors you choose, it is worth considering the product itself. Many paints contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which contribute to paint odor while the paint dries. Low-VOC and low-odor paints are widely available and can be tinted to a broad range of colors. Good ventilation while painting and drying is a sensible practice with any product; follow the manufacturer's safety guidance.

Preparation Makes the Difference

Interior painting can be done very well, but the preparation and painting process above should not be taken lightly — it largely determines the outcome. Even the most beautiful color will not look its best over poorly prepared surfaces.

If you would rather have the work handled for you, our interior painting service follows this same preparation-first approach, with a clear written scope before work begins.