what do I need to know for a small but important paint job?
January 12, 2015 9:28 PM Subscribe
I want to paint my dining room. Obviously there are many Youtube videos, etc and I have been watching them. But I want YOUR experience.
So I want to paint the dining room. Here are my questions:
1. For a job this small (it's just, you know, a dining room, next to the kitchen) does it make sense in terms of money and time to do it myself - i.e. buy all the dropcloths and rollers and pans and sanders and sponges and goggles and whatever, and then do all the work - or am I going to spend as much on buying tools as I would on just having someone come and do it? My husband thinks we should do it ourselves, but I think he's underestimating the added-up costs of buying all the stuff, not to mention having to store stuff in the garage afterwards.
2. For a job this small, where would I even find someone to do it? Taskrabbit? I want it done well. The light in this room is very strong and mistakes will show. What would a single room cost to have done nicely?
3. If I do wind up doing it myself, what are the pitfalls to watch out for?
4. Why would anyone use a brush instead of a roller? Are they just for corners?
5. Should I buy a kit? I understand there are kits.
6. I'm thinking Satin for a dining room in a house with small kids, right? For clean-ability?
7. What else?
Thanks all!
So I want to paint the dining room. Here are my questions:
1. For a job this small (it's just, you know, a dining room, next to the kitchen) does it make sense in terms of money and time to do it myself - i.e. buy all the dropcloths and rollers and pans and sanders and sponges and goggles and whatever, and then do all the work - or am I going to spend as much on buying tools as I would on just having someone come and do it? My husband thinks we should do it ourselves, but I think he's underestimating the added-up costs of buying all the stuff, not to mention having to store stuff in the garage afterwards.
2. For a job this small, where would I even find someone to do it? Taskrabbit? I want it done well. The light in this room is very strong and mistakes will show. What would a single room cost to have done nicely?
3. If I do wind up doing it myself, what are the pitfalls to watch out for?
4. Why would anyone use a brush instead of a roller? Are they just for corners?
5. Should I buy a kit? I understand there are kits.
6. I'm thinking Satin for a dining room in a house with small kids, right? For clean-ability?
7. What else?
Thanks all!
1. Yes, it makes sense but my goodness you do not need goggles, sanders or sponges. Just get rollers, a couple brushes, a pan, drop cloths and tape. Make sure you use a primer coat under the color coat.
2. Just hire professional painters if you are going to be picky. Task Rabbit will have varying quality. Find recommendations on Yelp or Angie's List.
3. Pitfalls? Drips are annoying, I suppose. Make sure you get enough ventilation too.
4. Brushes are for edges and corners.
5. A kit is more extensive, but easier.
6. Satin works, but you can also ask at the store, they'll know.
posted by Toddles at 10:42 PM on January 12, 2015 [4 favorites]
2. Just hire professional painters if you are going to be picky. Task Rabbit will have varying quality. Find recommendations on Yelp or Angie's List.
3. Pitfalls? Drips are annoying, I suppose. Make sure you get enough ventilation too.
4. Brushes are for edges and corners.
5. A kit is more extensive, but easier.
6. Satin works, but you can also ask at the store, they'll know.
posted by Toddles at 10:42 PM on January 12, 2015 [4 favorites]
Best answer: I mean, you could, but you could very easily justify hiring someone. You're going to save a small amount of money in exchange for a big outlay of your own mental space and time. If that time outlay is not annoying to you -- e.g., if your husband will like painting -- then this is definitely among the easiest kinds of DIY projects to get the materials and skills needed. But by the time you buy the stuff you need, the savings won't be very large. (Did you know contractors get paint discounts, i.e., that some of what you'll pay them in labor is essentially free to you?)
Example: someone comes home from work tired. "Oh yeah, I have to start working in the dining room." Manages to do 3 hours of work. If it takes, let's say two workers three days to prep and paint the room, that's 48 hours. To do that same 48 hours of work three hours at a time -- well first, you have to add 50% to that timeline due to the inefficiency of, e.g., having to ask MetaFilter what tools to buy. But ignoring that, that would mean 16 evenings of "oh, geez, I have to keep painting, wish I could just hang out with the kids instead," 16 evenings of the other person being the one to cook and do laundry, 16 days of finding paint in one's hair, 16 days of being sleepy at work the next morning, 16 days of the dining room being unusable, etc. In truth, it might not be 16 days. I don't know how much prep work the room needs. But you get my point. If those 16 days will be an interesting adventure to your husband, if he'll like having paint in his hair, if he'll enjoy the creaky feeling in his shoulders from painting overhead for three hours last night... then go for it. I say all this as someone who used to enjoy the DIY thing and doesn't anymore.
Tips:
- latex gloves means you can go to bed at 10:30 pm instead of having to scrub paint off your hands for 25 minutes
- audiobooks
- the final look is determined by the quality of the prep work (e.g., spackle)
- low VOC paint reduces the impact on your body
- careful about falls. You can actually really hurt yourself (I know you know but still)
posted by slidell at 11:09 PM on January 12, 2015 [4 favorites]
Example: someone comes home from work tired. "Oh yeah, I have to start working in the dining room." Manages to do 3 hours of work. If it takes, let's say two workers three days to prep and paint the room, that's 48 hours. To do that same 48 hours of work three hours at a time -- well first, you have to add 50% to that timeline due to the inefficiency of, e.g., having to ask MetaFilter what tools to buy. But ignoring that, that would mean 16 evenings of "oh, geez, I have to keep painting, wish I could just hang out with the kids instead," 16 evenings of the other person being the one to cook and do laundry, 16 days of finding paint in one's hair, 16 days of being sleepy at work the next morning, 16 days of the dining room being unusable, etc. In truth, it might not be 16 days. I don't know how much prep work the room needs. But you get my point. If those 16 days will be an interesting adventure to your husband, if he'll like having paint in his hair, if he'll enjoy the creaky feeling in his shoulders from painting overhead for three hours last night... then go for it. I say all this as someone who used to enjoy the DIY thing and doesn't anymore.
Tips:
- latex gloves means you can go to bed at 10:30 pm instead of having to scrub paint off your hands for 25 minutes
- audiobooks
- the final look is determined by the quality of the prep work (e.g., spackle)
- low VOC paint reduces the impact on your body
- careful about falls. You can actually really hurt yourself (I know you know but still)
posted by slidell at 11:09 PM on January 12, 2015 [4 favorites]
Best answer: A quick download, everything I have learned.....
- NOooooo on the Satin! You want Eggshell. Satin is too shiny, Eggshell is still washable.
- Do you have a decent dollar store (or a few) near where you live? You can get drop cloths, gloves, quality brushes, sometimes rolls for rollers, PAINTERS TAPE (so expensive usually!) and sometimes other supplies really cheap. The other half you buy at Home Depot or the like. But do buy a church key thingy to open paint cans, regardless. So much better than a screwdriver. Totally worth the .99 cents they cost everywhere.
- If you are buying all retail - then yep - maybe it pays to get a professional painter. If you have it to spend. Likely about an extra $200 after retail costs of supplies and paint (quality paint is pricey.) There is a point for me where having someone else do it right is worth it. What's your price point on this job?
- PREP YOUR WALLS.
By this I mean, use a Primer. You might need to wash the current walls with a TSP solution (not a chemical necessarily legal in your area, but a GREAT help painting - not really kid friendly - but TSP washes away all grime , and the chemical action creates a. "tooth" in the current paint coating for the new paint to ahere to - so no sanding required if you can get real TSP and use it safely.)
- Rollers give a nicer finish to the paint than brushes - brushes are only for corners, for applying stain sometimes, and for fences (but even there, rollers are better!)
A short haired roller gives a very smooth finish, a long haired roller gives a rough finish. Foam rollers are bullshit and only good for mouldings, and trim. USE PAINTERS TAPE WHEN PAINTING MOUKDINGS, TRIM, OR WALL-TO-CEILING/FLOOR SEAMS.
- Holy shit. Do not skimp on the painters tape. So many hours on the job lost with retouches and mistakes - USE PAINTERS TAPE.
- All that said....
Empty the room into the garage and hire a professional painter (more on that in minute) if you can afford it. You have small kids? Can they self entertain for the 10+ interrupted hours you will spend prepping, executing, and cleaning up the job? Because it will take 3 days in chunks of work time, unless you can send the kids to a relative's house for a full day+overnight to get it all done in one go.
Painting is FUN, and fun to learn. You will mostly learn by making mistakes and having fix them. Or live with the mistakes.
If this is not a skill you absolutely NEED in your repertoire (and I love knowing how to paint professionally, and keep learning new tricks all the time as I take on projects) then just hire someone.
Ask friends who have had work done, or best yet, ask friends who work with apartment maintenance, friends who have had excellent maintenance at their rented apartment, etc.. Those guys know or can get you in touch with great inexpensive painters.
That's my data dump. I hope I helped you decide how to best accomplish this project. Good luck!
posted by jbenben at 11:32 PM on January 12, 2015 [3 favorites]
- NOooooo on the Satin! You want Eggshell. Satin is too shiny, Eggshell is still washable.
- Do you have a decent dollar store (or a few) near where you live? You can get drop cloths, gloves, quality brushes, sometimes rolls for rollers, PAINTERS TAPE (so expensive usually!) and sometimes other supplies really cheap. The other half you buy at Home Depot or the like. But do buy a church key thingy to open paint cans, regardless. So much better than a screwdriver. Totally worth the .99 cents they cost everywhere.
- If you are buying all retail - then yep - maybe it pays to get a professional painter. If you have it to spend. Likely about an extra $200 after retail costs of supplies and paint (quality paint is pricey.) There is a point for me where having someone else do it right is worth it. What's your price point on this job?
- PREP YOUR WALLS.
By this I mean, use a Primer. You might need to wash the current walls with a TSP solution (not a chemical necessarily legal in your area, but a GREAT help painting - not really kid friendly - but TSP washes away all grime , and the chemical action creates a. "tooth" in the current paint coating for the new paint to ahere to - so no sanding required if you can get real TSP and use it safely.)
- Rollers give a nicer finish to the paint than brushes - brushes are only for corners, for applying stain sometimes, and for fences (but even there, rollers are better!)
A short haired roller gives a very smooth finish, a long haired roller gives a rough finish. Foam rollers are bullshit and only good for mouldings, and trim. USE PAINTERS TAPE WHEN PAINTING MOUKDINGS, TRIM, OR WALL-TO-CEILING/FLOOR SEAMS.
- Holy shit. Do not skimp on the painters tape. So many hours on the job lost with retouches and mistakes - USE PAINTERS TAPE.
- All that said....
Empty the room into the garage and hire a professional painter (more on that in minute) if you can afford it. You have small kids? Can they self entertain for the 10+ interrupted hours you will spend prepping, executing, and cleaning up the job? Because it will take 3 days in chunks of work time, unless you can send the kids to a relative's house for a full day+overnight to get it all done in one go.
Painting is FUN, and fun to learn. You will mostly learn by making mistakes and having fix them. Or live with the mistakes.
If this is not a skill you absolutely NEED in your repertoire (and I love knowing how to paint professionally, and keep learning new tricks all the time as I take on projects) then just hire someone.
Ask friends who have had work done, or best yet, ask friends who work with apartment maintenance, friends who have had excellent maintenance at their rented apartment, etc.. Those guys know or can get you in touch with great inexpensive painters.
That's my data dump. I hope I helped you decide how to best accomplish this project. Good luck!
posted by jbenben at 11:32 PM on January 12, 2015 [3 favorites]
I have painted many rooms and find it to be pretty easy work but it takes some time. You are likely to spend about $200 on supplies to paint one room (Kiltz primer, 2 gallons of paint, 3 good roller covers, one roller and tray, three tray liners, a very good quality 2" wide angled brush, painters tape, drop cloths/plastic sheeting, spackle, 2 putty knife/trowel, 10-12 pairs latex gloves, paint stir sticks and a metal paint can opener thing).
Life is too short to wash roller covers, plan to use a new one for each coat. However do plan on really scrubbing the paint brush after each coat.
Hiring a professional is likely to cost around $400 for a room but there is a solid +/- $100 on that and you are likely to have to pay for the paint as well.
If you are working slowly over several days get thicker plastic sheeting and tape it down and together over the whole floor and leave it there until you are done. Also do a foot check every time you leave the sheeting to make sure you don't track wet paint around the rest of the house. A good division of labour is one person gets a head start on cutting in around the corners, ceiling, baseboards and outlets then the other person follows behind rolling. It's a good idea to start at a long blank wall so the roller doesn't get too far ahead.
posted by saradarlin at 12:06 AM on January 13, 2015 [5 favorites]
Life is too short to wash roller covers, plan to use a new one for each coat. However do plan on really scrubbing the paint brush after each coat.
Hiring a professional is likely to cost around $400 for a room but there is a solid +/- $100 on that and you are likely to have to pay for the paint as well.
If you are working slowly over several days get thicker plastic sheeting and tape it down and together over the whole floor and leave it there until you are done. Also do a foot check every time you leave the sheeting to make sure you don't track wet paint around the rest of the house. A good division of labour is one person gets a head start on cutting in around the corners, ceiling, baseboards and outlets then the other person follows behind rolling. It's a good idea to start at a long blank wall so the roller doesn't get too far ahead.
posted by saradarlin at 12:06 AM on January 13, 2015 [5 favorites]
Best answer: If you have clean painted walls w/o damage, it makes perfect sense to do this small room yourself.
Shouldn't take more than a weekend: Saturday AM move furniture, prep, paint, let dry overnight. Sunday AM you may add another coat if needed, let dry a few hours. Remove the tape, replace elec faceplates, and move back furniture.
You'll be using water-based latex, not the difficult to use oil paints. Everything washes up under water.
Prep (everything before actually touching paint to the surfaces) is the main task of house painting.
Taping and getting a good seal (run your thumbnail along the edge or use a flat plastic tool) is important for clean edges. You'll use 1" brush where the wall meets the ceiling, and near mouldings. Just use a wet paper towel to wipe off mistakes.
Good luck, I think you'll enjoy having done it yourself.
posted by artdrectr at 12:08 AM on January 13, 2015 [3 favorites]
Shouldn't take more than a weekend: Saturday AM move furniture, prep, paint, let dry overnight. Sunday AM you may add another coat if needed, let dry a few hours. Remove the tape, replace elec faceplates, and move back furniture.
You'll be using water-based latex, not the difficult to use oil paints. Everything washes up under water.
Prep (everything before actually touching paint to the surfaces) is the main task of house painting.
Taping and getting a good seal (run your thumbnail along the edge or use a flat plastic tool) is important for clean edges. You'll use 1" brush where the wall meets the ceiling, and near mouldings. Just use a wet paper towel to wipe off mistakes.
Good luck, I think you'll enjoy having done it yourself.
posted by artdrectr at 12:08 AM on January 13, 2015 [3 favorites]
Painting is one of the few home diy jobs you need literally no skill to do. You just need time, to go slow, and patience, to go carefully. This is why decent painters are so expensive: a good job takes a long time.
Some random points from my experience:
You don't need tape, you can cut-in with an angled brush - CAREFULLY. I found tape gave me a false sense of security resulting in more errors cause I rushed more.
Primer is critical. Consider two coats if you're changing colours. Two coats of primer is easier than three coats of regular. It's thick, so it's harder to apply than regular paint.
Nthing don't go satin, too shiny. Eggshell or one of the others, there's heaps of washable ones.
Drop-cloths are critical if you value your floor, at all. Also, keep some rags handy for wiping up quick spills. A small bottle of turpentine could be useful as well, even if you don't use it.
Youtube has lots of great videos, watch them to get a sense of how to roll. I like wool rollers - the synthetic weren't as good for me. If you roll too fast/too wet, tiny spatters of paint will go every where. Slow and steady.
It's dumb, but make sure you take a stick or something for mixing the paint. I didn't buy a stirrer, we had lots of spare wood, but you will need something.
Make sure you patch any dings, lightly sand the walls, then wash with something like sugar soap, in that order. Doing it any other way will result in dusty walls that will impact your paint job.
Ensure you leave adequate drying time. There is almost no point to painting on wet paint, and the temptation can be strong if it's humid/rainy etc. You'll get a better result if you wait.
If you can, do one coat more than you need to (ie, three for more people). It will be the absolute last thing you want to do by time you're near the end but if you're painting over dark colours it really will make a difference.
Best of luck!
posted by smoke at 12:42 AM on January 13, 2015 [4 favorites]
Some random points from my experience:
You don't need tape, you can cut-in with an angled brush - CAREFULLY. I found tape gave me a false sense of security resulting in more errors cause I rushed more.
Primer is critical. Consider two coats if you're changing colours. Two coats of primer is easier than three coats of regular. It's thick, so it's harder to apply than regular paint.
Nthing don't go satin, too shiny. Eggshell or one of the others, there's heaps of washable ones.
Drop-cloths are critical if you value your floor, at all. Also, keep some rags handy for wiping up quick spills. A small bottle of turpentine could be useful as well, even if you don't use it.
Youtube has lots of great videos, watch them to get a sense of how to roll. I like wool rollers - the synthetic weren't as good for me. If you roll too fast/too wet, tiny spatters of paint will go every where. Slow and steady.
It's dumb, but make sure you take a stick or something for mixing the paint. I didn't buy a stirrer, we had lots of spare wood, but you will need something.
Make sure you patch any dings, lightly sand the walls, then wash with something like sugar soap, in that order. Doing it any other way will result in dusty walls that will impact your paint job.
Ensure you leave adequate drying time. There is almost no point to painting on wet paint, and the temptation can be strong if it's humid/rainy etc. You'll get a better result if you wait.
If you can, do one coat more than you need to (ie, three for more people). It will be the absolute last thing you want to do by time you're near the end but if you're painting over dark colours it really will make a difference.
Best of luck!
posted by smoke at 12:42 AM on January 13, 2015 [4 favorites]
Best answer: I just painted my dining room last week. Prepping the walls took more time than putting on the color and it all took less time than picking the color.
The supplies I used were rollers, roller extension pole, trays -2, good angled brush ( worth the money), drop clothes, sand paper, caulk and caulking gun. Better to get the more expensive gun.
Covering lathe and plaster walls that were olive green with light yellow took 2 coats of primer and 2 coats of color. The walls sucked up both primer and paint so it took 2 gallons of each.
I did not use painters tape cause the angled paint brush was so easy to use on the trim. If you go slow you should not have to much cleanup around the edges. Painting the ceiling was a bitch. That is all I will say about that part.
If you have the time and energy do it yourself. Do it. If you have the money to pay someone else to do it. Hire them.
posted by cairnoflore at 1:05 AM on January 13, 2015 [4 favorites]
The supplies I used were rollers, roller extension pole, trays -2, good angled brush ( worth the money), drop clothes, sand paper, caulk and caulking gun. Better to get the more expensive gun.
Covering lathe and plaster walls that were olive green with light yellow took 2 coats of primer and 2 coats of color. The walls sucked up both primer and paint so it took 2 gallons of each.
I did not use painters tape cause the angled paint brush was so easy to use on the trim. If you go slow you should not have to much cleanup around the edges. Painting the ceiling was a bitch. That is all I will say about that part.
If you have the time and energy do it yourself. Do it. If you have the money to pay someone else to do it. Hire them.
posted by cairnoflore at 1:05 AM on January 13, 2015 [4 favorites]
As far as brushes go, my mom, who loves painting rooms, swears by a paddle brush instead of a roller. I've only ever painted my living room but found the paddle brush to be easier and less spattery than a roller.
posted by christinetheslp at 2:12 AM on January 13, 2015
posted by christinetheslp at 2:12 AM on January 13, 2015
Just hire professional painters if you are going to be picky
If you hire someone, be picky about whom you hire. "Painting" seems easy, but there are a lot of people who think it's easier than it really is (truly) and they may, for example, not realize that any non-white color (already on the wall or in the paint you're putting up) requires two coats, or that water-based paint will bubble and look terrible on oil-based paint, or that painting your ceiling white-on-white requires every square centimeter be covered to avoid seeing the two different colors after the paint has dried -- even if it looks uniform when the paint is wet.
I _always_ use tape, and then also "cut in" carefully. I have a tendency to use strongish colors, and to paint quickly, so it makes a difference.
*** If painting a noticeably contrasting color, do the taped edges first in the outside-the-edge color; some paint always seeps under the tape (just a bit), and if it's the outside-the-edge color, that will seal the tape line and make for a perfect, gorgeous edge *** (I have a big cream circle on an amber background in my living room, and people always ask how I got the edge so crisp).
*** Get your cats and dogs out of there. They are less avoidant of fumes and other carcinogens (like drywall compound/spackle dust after sanding) than a human would be, and they're right down on the floor where dust accumulates. I used to do a lot of painting at home, and I think that might have had something to do with my cat's death by surprisingly-large-spread lung cancer (he was fairly young, too). Note I always used water-based latex paint, but probably the spackle dust -- there was a big smoothing project involving built-in bookshelves -- was the worst for him.
posted by amtho at 3:16 AM on January 13, 2015
If you hire someone, be picky about whom you hire. "Painting" seems easy, but there are a lot of people who think it's easier than it really is (truly) and they may, for example, not realize that any non-white color (already on the wall or in the paint you're putting up) requires two coats, or that water-based paint will bubble and look terrible on oil-based paint, or that painting your ceiling white-on-white requires every square centimeter be covered to avoid seeing the two different colors after the paint has dried -- even if it looks uniform when the paint is wet.
I _always_ use tape, and then also "cut in" carefully. I have a tendency to use strongish colors, and to paint quickly, so it makes a difference.
*** If painting a noticeably contrasting color, do the taped edges first in the outside-the-edge color; some paint always seeps under the tape (just a bit), and if it's the outside-the-edge color, that will seal the tape line and make for a perfect, gorgeous edge *** (I have a big cream circle on an amber background in my living room, and people always ask how I got the edge so crisp).
*** Get your cats and dogs out of there. They are less avoidant of fumes and other carcinogens (like drywall compound/spackle dust after sanding) than a human would be, and they're right down on the floor where dust accumulates. I used to do a lot of painting at home, and I think that might have had something to do with my cat's death by surprisingly-large-spread lung cancer (he was fairly young, too). Note I always used water-based latex paint, but probably the spackle dust -- there was a big smoothing project involving built-in bookshelves -- was the worst for him.
posted by amtho at 3:16 AM on January 13, 2015
Best answer: I painted as a summer job for a few years in high school, doing nice work in affluent neighborhoods. Something to keep in mind is that it's a business with very few barriers to entry, so it's easy for anyone to buy a few rollers and brushes and put up a Craigslist ad offering painting services. You can find ads offering to do paint work very cheaply, but the results will probably be awful. A competent professional job, done well, is likely to cost a lot more than the supplies you'd need to do it yourself. It will be much slower the first time you do it yourself. It's not intellectually challenging, but requires you develop a feel for working with the tools and materials, sort of like learning to parallel park. For just one room it's probably worth hiring someone, but if this is just the start and you'll end up repainting the whole house over time then learning to DIY it might be a good idea, depending on your income bracket.
posted by jon1270 at 3:35 AM on January 13, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by jon1270 at 3:35 AM on January 13, 2015 [4 favorites]
My opinion might differ from some above. I'm in the middle of renovating and just helped my mom repaint every room of a house. Here are my tips in no particular order.
1. Yes, do it yourself. If only because contractors are expensive and painting one room is not difficult. Contractors can also be sloppy and there is nothing worse than catching mistakes later and thinking to yourself, "I paid $$$ for this?!" It's much easier to live with an imperfection that you did yourself.
2. Prep is your friend. TSP is good. I am the oddball out here and I love tape. My mom LOVES tape. Especially around the top of the walls when you do the ceiling. I'm a fan of Frog tape for the edges.
3. Do not use cheap paint. Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore periodically have great sales. Remember that you can find a color at Home Depot and have it matched anywhere.
4. Move as much as you can out of the room and good luck!
posted by checkitnice at 3:50 AM on January 13, 2015 [1 favorite]
1. Yes, do it yourself. If only because contractors are expensive and painting one room is not difficult. Contractors can also be sloppy and there is nothing worse than catching mistakes later and thinking to yourself, "I paid $$$ for this?!" It's much easier to live with an imperfection that you did yourself.
2. Prep is your friend. TSP is good. I am the oddball out here and I love tape. My mom LOVES tape. Especially around the top of the walls when you do the ceiling. I'm a fan of Frog tape for the edges.
3. Do not use cheap paint. Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore periodically have great sales. Remember that you can find a color at Home Depot and have it matched anywhere.
4. Move as much as you can out of the room and good luck!
posted by checkitnice at 3:50 AM on January 13, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Sometimes the best advice I can offer after 25 years as a painting contractor is: Hire a Professional. If you are looking to have the job completed correctly and in a timely manner you may be better off heading to work and earning the money to get the work done.
That being said if this appeals to you there are a few things to keep in mind.
1) If you plan to paint more in the future spend more money now on tools that will last. A brush like the proform picasso will cost about 12 dollars. With a high quality brush you have better control of the paint being applied which means cutting in against edges is easier and it also will offer a smoother finish. Same goes for rollers. Excellent quality rollers are lint free and hold more paint than cheap rollers. We have had jobs where homeowners have painted with cheap tools and they have left fibers either from the roller or bristles from the brushes. We have had to sand the walls to get them to a smooth finish.
2) Locating a reputable painter is usually pretty easy. Staff at Sherwin Williams, PPG, Benjamin Moore or Glidden store will be able to help with lots of names for contractors. I mention these brand stores because contractors have a close relationship with the staff and most times they can pin point someone who is interested or specializes in your project.
3) Painting kits are usually a collection of low quality or poorly chosen items to appeal to budget conscious homeowners. The brushes are small, the roller handle is cheap and the drop sheet is light and will usually not stay in place. See number one as to why you should buy the parts for a stress free experience.
4) Be realistic about how the end product will turn out. Choose a finish that appeals to you. "Satin" varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. It can mean very low sheen or a sheen just under semigloss. If you are trying to hide imperfections then a paint that is flat will camouflage that if your walls are smooth and you like to see light reflect the color then something shiner.
5) All high quality paints are washable no matter what the sheen. Low quality paints will absorb dirt, oils from your hands, crayons you name it. Buying the best quality paint you can afford will make the application easier and offer better long lasting appearance.
Painting can be a really rewarding experience. Your sense of satisfaction will be great when you see the work you did yourself or the work you paid to have completed without stress or your own time invested!
posted by ashtray elvis at 5:26 AM on January 13, 2015 [4 favorites]
That being said if this appeals to you there are a few things to keep in mind.
1) If you plan to paint more in the future spend more money now on tools that will last. A brush like the proform picasso will cost about 12 dollars. With a high quality brush you have better control of the paint being applied which means cutting in against edges is easier and it also will offer a smoother finish. Same goes for rollers. Excellent quality rollers are lint free and hold more paint than cheap rollers. We have had jobs where homeowners have painted with cheap tools and they have left fibers either from the roller or bristles from the brushes. We have had to sand the walls to get them to a smooth finish.
2) Locating a reputable painter is usually pretty easy. Staff at Sherwin Williams, PPG, Benjamin Moore or Glidden store will be able to help with lots of names for contractors. I mention these brand stores because contractors have a close relationship with the staff and most times they can pin point someone who is interested or specializes in your project.
3) Painting kits are usually a collection of low quality or poorly chosen items to appeal to budget conscious homeowners. The brushes are small, the roller handle is cheap and the drop sheet is light and will usually not stay in place. See number one as to why you should buy the parts for a stress free experience.
4) Be realistic about how the end product will turn out. Choose a finish that appeals to you. "Satin" varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. It can mean very low sheen or a sheen just under semigloss. If you are trying to hide imperfections then a paint that is flat will camouflage that if your walls are smooth and you like to see light reflect the color then something shiner.
5) All high quality paints are washable no matter what the sheen. Low quality paints will absorb dirt, oils from your hands, crayons you name it. Buying the best quality paint you can afford will make the application easier and offer better long lasting appearance.
Painting can be a really rewarding experience. Your sense of satisfaction will be great when you see the work you did yourself or the work you paid to have completed without stress or your own time invested!
posted by ashtray elvis at 5:26 AM on January 13, 2015 [4 favorites]
1) dont use TSP to clean inside, you need to wash off *all* of it in order to paint
2) painting is about prep: cleaning, priming, and cutting in the edges.
3) the labor cost of painting a room isn't about the square feet of coverage but the amount of prep required: mainly the number of edges that need to be cut in and how much trim needs to be painted.
4) painting is not super skilled, but there are a bunch of little things you need to know to both do a decent job and not take forever doing that job. most of the paint will go on with the roller, and quickly, but rollers can't do edges and corners, which have to be "cut in" first with a brush. cutting in with a shitty brush (or the wrong brush) is frustrating and time consuming.
if you want to DIY find some videos or something and figure out what you need to buy from those.
posted by ennui.bz at 6:08 AM on January 13, 2015
2) painting is about prep: cleaning, priming, and cutting in the edges.
3) the labor cost of painting a room isn't about the square feet of coverage but the amount of prep required: mainly the number of edges that need to be cut in and how much trim needs to be painted.
4) painting is not super skilled, but there are a bunch of little things you need to know to both do a decent job and not take forever doing that job. most of the paint will go on with the roller, and quickly, but rollers can't do edges and corners, which have to be "cut in" first with a brush. cutting in with a shitty brush (or the wrong brush) is frustrating and time consuming.
if you want to DIY find some videos or something and figure out what you need to buy from those.
posted by ennui.bz at 6:08 AM on January 13, 2015
I just wanted to add that you keep the paint in your garage, even if someone else paints it, so that you can do touch ups.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 6:09 AM on January 13, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 6:09 AM on January 13, 2015 [1 favorite]
(if you have a lot of super-glossy paint that needs to be covered, TSP might make sense, but creates more trouble than it's worth otherwise)
posted by ennui.bz at 6:11 AM on January 13, 2015
posted by ennui.bz at 6:11 AM on January 13, 2015
You've gotten good advice already. Here's my one killer tip: If you are taking a long break or finished for the day, and you know you will need to roller the same color after the break or the next day, wrap your roller head in plastic wrap and stick it in the fridge. I keep a disposable paint tray liner (or some other container I can throw out later) in the fridge for this purpose.
The cold will keep the paint from drying, and the next day you just take the plastic wrap off, let the roller warm up for a few minutes while you are doing something else (adjusting your drop clothes or cutting in or applying painters tape or whatever) and you are good to go. This will save you a bit of money on paint (because you won't be throwing out or cleaning off what's already loaded in the roller) and on roller heads.
posted by OrangeDisk at 6:22 AM on January 13, 2015 [1 favorite]
The cold will keep the paint from drying, and the next day you just take the plastic wrap off, let the roller warm up for a few minutes while you are doing something else (adjusting your drop clothes or cutting in or applying painters tape or whatever) and you are good to go. This will save you a bit of money on paint (because you won't be throwing out or cleaning off what's already loaded in the roller) and on roller heads.
posted by OrangeDisk at 6:22 AM on January 13, 2015 [1 favorite]
Don't forget about the floor, please. Cover it thoroughly.
posted by divina_y_humilde at 6:44 AM on January 13, 2015
posted by divina_y_humilde at 6:44 AM on January 13, 2015
Best answer: I have not seen this detail mentioned above, but it's worth considering.
The color painted in a large area like a wall will have a much more intense impact on your eye. If you choose a very dark, intense color it may be overwhelming painted large. It may look great on the tiny chip sample, and overbearing on a large surface area.
I have had several friends over the years have to repaint the entire house or room because they chose a color that was too intense for a large surface area. A lighter shade tint of the color will be easier to live with.
posted by effluvia at 7:43 AM on January 13, 2015 [1 favorite]
The color painted in a large area like a wall will have a much more intense impact on your eye. If you choose a very dark, intense color it may be overwhelming painted large. It may look great on the tiny chip sample, and overbearing on a large surface area.
I have had several friends over the years have to repaint the entire house or room because they chose a color that was too intense for a large surface area. A lighter shade tint of the color will be easier to live with.
posted by effluvia at 7:43 AM on January 13, 2015 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Many excellent answers here, unfortunately not at all unanimous :) but a lot to think about.
I have no idea what kind of paint is already on the walls but I think I need to sand it because it was sloppily done and also there are a few flaws that need patching (I made one myself pulling a decoration off, it took a chip of paint with it...)
A follow up question: currently I have white trim, which I want to keep. I just want to change the color on the walls. If I tape carefully, can I get away with not re-painting the trim? Or realistically will it all need a fresh coat?
posted by fingersandtoes at 8:02 AM on January 13, 2015 [1 favorite]
I have no idea what kind of paint is already on the walls but I think I need to sand it because it was sloppily done and also there are a few flaws that need patching (I made one myself pulling a decoration off, it took a chip of paint with it...)
A follow up question: currently I have white trim, which I want to keep. I just want to change the color on the walls. If I tape carefully, can I get away with not re-painting the trim? Or realistically will it all need a fresh coat?
posted by fingersandtoes at 8:02 AM on January 13, 2015 [1 favorite]
Be really careful about blanket recommendations like "use eggshell, not satin." In my experience, every manufacturer defines these finishes differently. There's no standard. I personally don't even trust the samples they show you. If I'm going to use a sheen I've never used before in that brand, I always buy a sample and put it on the actual wall I'm going to paint to be sure I like it. One time I didn't do this and I regretted it for years.
posted by primethyme at 8:09 AM on January 13, 2015
posted by primethyme at 8:09 AM on January 13, 2015
I'd take a Magic Eraser to the trim and see if that will buff up any scrapes.
I haven't seen: be sure to get a stick and stir the paint thoroughly before you start! I painted two rooms and one of the colors wasn't fully mixed, and was blue on top and pure white at the bottom of the can. I thought i could get away with mixing the remaining paint, but it was so obvious I had to get another can and do that wall again.
posted by Liesl at 8:12 AM on January 13, 2015
I haven't seen: be sure to get a stick and stir the paint thoroughly before you start! I painted two rooms and one of the colors wasn't fully mixed, and was blue on top and pure white at the bottom of the can. I thought i could get away with mixing the remaining paint, but it was so obvious I had to get another can and do that wall again.
posted by Liesl at 8:12 AM on January 13, 2015
There is some good advice upthread. I just want to add:
- if you use tape, be sure to pull it off as soon as possible after you have painted. That way, you see immediately if the paint has leeched under the tape. Also, if you leave it too long, the paint will start to dry and cement the tape in place.
- if you use tape, pull it off carefully, because one side is sticky and the other side is covered with wet paint. You do not want this to get out of control.
- if you use a roller, load it up with paint, and then start rolling. After a few minutes, the roller will run low on paint, and start making a "sticky" sound. At this point, it's a good idea to go back over the area that you have just painted and roll it again. That will even out the coat of paint.
- remember that paint doesn't exactly "dry"... it "cures" like concrete, so it's possible for the paint to be semi-fluid, even after the surface is dry to the touch. It's easy to leave fingerprints in paint before it has thoroughly cured.
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 10:40 AM on January 13, 2015
- if you use tape, be sure to pull it off as soon as possible after you have painted. That way, you see immediately if the paint has leeched under the tape. Also, if you leave it too long, the paint will start to dry and cement the tape in place.
- if you use tape, pull it off carefully, because one side is sticky and the other side is covered with wet paint. You do not want this to get out of control.
- if you use a roller, load it up with paint, and then start rolling. After a few minutes, the roller will run low on paint, and start making a "sticky" sound. At this point, it's a good idea to go back over the area that you have just painted and roll it again. That will even out the coat of paint.
- remember that paint doesn't exactly "dry"... it "cures" like concrete, so it's possible for the paint to be semi-fluid, even after the surface is dry to the touch. It's easy to leave fingerprints in paint before it has thoroughly cured.
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 10:40 AM on January 13, 2015
A lot of good answers, but I'd like to throw my 2 cents in. I've painted many rooms, and was "trained" by a good friend who painted professionally for a few years.
1) Prep, prep, prep. Fix damaged walls. Caulk molding. Spackle. Wash. Sand. Wash. Do it again. Then do it again. Walls must be perfect before you start if you want the finished product to look good. Prep will take far more time then the actual painting.
2) Prime. Just do it. No 2 in 1. Trust me.
3) Minimize painters tape. Learn how to cut in without it. You will screw up, but eventually you'll get it and end up with a more professional look.
4) Buy high quality paint (I like Benjamin Moore aura). It looks better and dries fast, so by the time you're done with coat 1 it's time for coat 2.
5) The molding needs fresh paint too.
6) Paint the edges first then roll over wet edges with extension pole.
7) Use multiple thin coats.
My 2 cents. Your first room may not look great, but by the time you get to room 3 or 4 you'll be a pro!
posted by Mr. X at 8:00 AM on January 14, 2015
1) Prep, prep, prep. Fix damaged walls. Caulk molding. Spackle. Wash. Sand. Wash. Do it again. Then do it again. Walls must be perfect before you start if you want the finished product to look good. Prep will take far more time then the actual painting.
2) Prime. Just do it. No 2 in 1. Trust me.
3) Minimize painters tape. Learn how to cut in without it. You will screw up, but eventually you'll get it and end up with a more professional look.
4) Buy high quality paint (I like Benjamin Moore aura). It looks better and dries fast, so by the time you're done with coat 1 it's time for coat 2.
5) The molding needs fresh paint too.
6) Paint the edges first then roll over wet edges with extension pole.
7) Use multiple thin coats.
My 2 cents. Your first room may not look great, but by the time you get to room 3 or 4 you'll be a pro!
posted by Mr. X at 8:00 AM on January 14, 2015
Just hire someone. No offense intended at all, but based on your questions alone it's clear there's very little chance you'll get it right, which will lead to frustration, etc. As my once-boss (a very successful painting contractor) says, "Everybody thinks they can paint. They're wrong--they can't."
It's very definitively an art that requires a lot of practice.
posted by eggman at 11:47 AM on January 14, 2015
It's very definitively an art that requires a lot of practice.
posted by eggman at 11:47 AM on January 14, 2015
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1) The stuff will indeed cost $, including sufficient paint to complete the task. Do you intend to do the ceiling as well? (Bear in mind that new paint on walls + old paint on ceiling will be obvious.)
2) Have you looked on Angie's List? There are frequent specials for "house painter for a day" or something of the sort for a small job.
3) Paint spills. Paint splatters. Paint going where it shouldn't...you get the idea. Painter's tape is your friend. So are strong dropcloths.
Also, check your local regulations for disposing of paint, unless you plan to store the remainder in the basement or something.
4) Brushes and rollers each have their own potential pitfalls. I've found that I have more control and fewer drips with a brush than a roller, but YMMV.
5) The important thing is to purchase good quality brushes, rollers, etc., as that will absolutely make a difference in the outcome.
...
7) If you've never painted a room before, budget more time than you expect. This is especially the case if you're painting a light color over dark (trying to paint white over any color, for example, will take a lot of coats). Don't forget your primer. If you have a Lowe's nearby, Valspar is a very good quality paint with strong coverage--it will reduce the # of necessary coats.
posted by thomas j wise at 10:35 PM on January 12, 2015 [2 favorites]