PREP Supplies
Plan to devote a full day to the four Ps that lead up to painting a room: protecting floors and furnishings; patching holes, fissures, and gaps; prepping walls (cleaning, taping them off); and, finally, priming.
Protect: Gather large objects in the center of the room, removing any small objects, and cover with a drop cloth (plastic or canvas). Unscrew switch and outlet face plates. Lay masking paper over floors and tape to secure. Cover carpeting with drop cloths.
patch: Repair any holes or cracks in the wall as described on page 58. Cracks between the baseboard—or any trim—and the wall should be treated with latex caulk (which can be painted). Apply with a caulking gun, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Use a damp sponge to even caulk out and wipe off excess immediately after applying. (It is impossible to do this after caulk dries.)
prep: Vacuum the room and wash the walls with a sponge and warm water.
Prime: Tape off the ceiling if not painting it the same color as walls. If you’ll be covering a light-colored wall with dark paint, use a gray primer, or have one custom-mixed to match your paint shade. Follow the method on page 102 when coating surfaces with primer, and let dry thoroughly.
Additives such as Floetrol emulate the smooth look of oil paint by rendering brush and roller marks less prominent. Mix a pint of conditioner with a gallon of latex paint. Test a swatch on the wall. For an even cleaner finish, add up to 1 pint more conditioner.