[Req] Indoor Painting Tips

FrCrilly

Hi All,

I’m painting my new apartment this weekend. I’ve never done it before and am wondering if someone who has painted an apartment/house is willing to share their experiences. It strikes me as a straight forward job but I’m sure there is stuff you can do wrong. If anyone has any tips on how to avoid the main things you can do wrong I’m all ears.

Edited Addition: The apartment walls and ceilings are already painted white, which I intend to paint over, and I'll be putting wooden flooring down after I finish painting.

Thanks in Advance

magicbastarder

paint the walls white. that means you can paint the ceiling at the same time, and save time worrying about getting ceiling paint on the walls and vice versa.

foxy06

Always wash your brushes when your finished and use masking tape on skirtings and doors

magicbastarder

are the walls bare plaster at the moment?

Wertz

Firstly what finishes for the wood and walls/ceilings? Usually a lot more work in the wood than the plasterwork and a fair bit more preparation.
There are different ways to proceed, depending on what way your wood is finishing (varnish/painted or previously finished)

To say that there aren't many things that can go wrong is foolhardy....a lot of my work involves putting right the wrongs that a bad previous job has left, be it by the occupants or by cowboy decorators...and in a new place the most important coat of paint is the first one.

John Mason

always paint your walls first and then the ceiling

Wertz

irishbird wrote:

always paint your walls first and then the ceiling

I've been a decorator for upwards of 12 years and I have never either done or been advised to do it this way.
You start up and work down.

Prime your ceiling(s), prime your walls, prepare/fill/sand etc, finish coat your celiing(s), first colour the walls, final colour the walls.

If you did it your way you end up with overspary and splashes of ceiling paint on your finished walls, plus the added inconvenience of having to cut your lines above, rather than on the level. Just making work for yourself.

FrCrilly

Thanks for all replies so far. Keep them coming.

Forgot to mention the walls and ceilings are already painted white and I will be painting over this. There's no flooring at the moment and I will be putting down wooden flooring after I finish painting.

NextSteps

Make sure there are no loose bristles or bits of dirt on your brushes before you start - flick through them a few times. It's very annoying trying to pick them out of your finished masterpiece, not to mention all the paint that gets under your nails.

NextSteps

Wertz wrote:

If you did it your way you end up with overspary and splashes of ceiling paint on your finished walls, plus the added inconvenience of having to cut your lines above, rather than on the level. Just making work for yourself.

Out of curiosity, what does 'cutting your lines' mean in this context?

Wertz

^
Your edges; where ceilings meet walls, walls meet woodwork, switchplates, etc....all "cut-in" with a brush.


To FrCrilly; where your walls are already primed, a light sanding and inspection for filling dings, nailholes, hairline cracks etc is a good idea before you start lashing on a colour. This is especially true if you intend to use a sheened finish.

You still haven't mentioned your woodwork...

artieanna

irishbird wrote:

always paint your walls first and then the ceiling

I very much disagree with this.....

always paint the ceiling first, then the walls as paint often spatters from the ceiling or off the roller down the wall;)