How to Paint ANYTHING in 7 Ways

Make your home look new just with a coat of paint. It’s like getting a whole new room without spending a lot! Preparation of the surface is key – as it is with all painting projects. This involves removing the grease, dirt, and oily surfaces, which will help you achieve a professional looking finish.

STEP 1 Getting Started

Clear the area before you begin working
- For chandeliers & fixtures that you don’t want to remove, cover them with plastic sheets
- Attach canvas cloth to the baseboard or bottom of the wall to avoid paint stains on the floor.
Clean the walls with warm, soapy water and remove dirt, chalk, mildew and flaking or peeling paint
Let the surface dry for at least an hour before painting

TIP! For MILDEW, apply diluted chlorine bleach or mildew–removing products to the problem area. Be sure to rinse thoroughly after mildew is removed.

STEP 2 Apply Primers

Apply a primer coat with a paint roller or brush to make new paint adhere
Use A small paint brush to reach areas where the roller won’t fit; include the hinges if you will be painting them

STEP 3 Painting the Ceiling

Work your way across the ceiling widthwise rather than lengthwise
Paint a series of overlapping “W”S until the ceiling is mostly covered
Then go back over the sections in opposite direction
To smooth out the paint, give the sections a series of light, one-directional, overlapping straight strokes from one end to the other

TIP! To stop white paint from turning yellow over time, add 5 or 6 drops of black paint for every quart of white paint. You will see the difference!

STEP 4 Painting with a Roller

Use a paint tray and run the roller over its ridges to eliminate excess paint
Roller should be saturated but not dripping
paint strokes down and up in a “W” pattern; each W overlaps the next until the surface is entirely covered
Smoothen the paint with non-diagonal strokes, all in one direction (from top to bottom)

TIP! Use masking tape where two paint colors come together for a much neater job.

Step 5 Apply Wall Brushwork

Do wall brushwork in places the roller doesn’t reach -- next to the doors, corners, windows and molding
Only dip one inch of the bristles into the paint.
The first coat doesn’t have to be totally dry, but the longer you wait the better
Paint the second coat in the same way you painted the first coat

Step 6. Paint the Trim, Doors and Windows
Paint all the trim areas around the doors and windows

For the base molding run blue painter’s tape along the floor to make sure nothing seeps through
For the door you need to take off the handle and the strike plate; paint inset panels, first the horizontal bars and then the vertical
For the windows, paint the top part of the outside sash and the inside sash; make sure that you open and close the window every so often so the window doesn't stick

For paint on the glass, just wait a day and use a one-sided razor blade to scrape it off

Step 7. Clean Up

When the room is finished, clean up
Good brushes will last for many years if you clean them well
Use a brush comb to separate bristles that stick together near the heel of the brush
Rinse the brush out in either water or paint thinner
Put the brush back in its protective sleeve or hang it on a nail or hook

Your Checklist:

True Value Easy Care for Interior Painting
True Value Weather All for Exterior Painting
True Value Paint Primer
Goggles, gloves, old clothes & apron
Canvas drop cloth
Blue painter’s tape or masking tape (wide type)
Sponges, rags
Paintbrush & edging pad
Paint roller & tray
Cutter
Paint thinner
Empty bucket
Sand paper
Ladder
Scraper
Steel brush
Putty knife
Wall putty