Tell me how you paint...

[lahdeedah]

I've been thinking about painting the walls in our house. When we moved in 2 years ago, there were a few smudges from the previous tenants. Now there are a lot more smudges from M and M2 and the paint is flat, so there isn't anything I can do about it. Looking at the marked up walls daily is slowly driving me mad. I see both Home Depot and Lowe's has paint rebates available through the fourth, so I think I will purchase a 5 gallon bucket. Are there any other time's of year where paint is "on sale"? 

I have experience with paint, but not doing interiors. I know we have quite a few ladies that paint on the board so I need your expertise. What all do I need to do this? Primer? Tools such as brushes, rollers, tape? I guess just tell me your process. Also, I would like them to wipe-able, so eggshell is what I should go with, right? 

[flamingo]

Currently on a break from painting our guest bath...

Yes, eggshell is great for all-purpose walls and is scrubbable; you can do a satin in bathrooms, esp if you have issues with moisture/dampness.

Most paint nowadays has primer built in, so typically I only apply primer over medium to darker colors. if you're doing a light or neutral color over something similar, you're probably fine without.

As far as prep work, you'll want to get some spackle and putty knife to fill in any holes, then use sandpaper to make everything smooth. Blue painters tape is great for taping off...just make sure you "seal" the edge that goes against the surface you'll be painting so paint doesn't seep under the tape, if that makes sense.

I like the rollers with the soft/"ergonomic" handle, as opposed to the cheapo plastic kind...spend the extra couple dollars to get one that is comfortable in your hand! You also might want to get the extension roller if you have high ceilings. Helps you avoid dozens of trips up and down ladders.

So basically I start by getting a cup of paint and 'cutting in'...doing all the corners, areas along the ceilings and trim work, around doors/windows, etc. Then I roll on the first coat (whether that's primer or your final color). Then cut in again, and roll again. I always do 2 coats, even if the paint says only 1 is necessary.

I am persnickety, so I have some el-cheapo artist brushes that I use to go back and touch up any little spots (these usually show up when you remove the tape).

[flamingo]

Here are a couple of my favorite tools:

Best brush for cutting in and/or trim work. Much more comfortable than the long wooden-handled ones
www.homedepot.com/p/Wooster-2-in-Polyester-Angle-Sash-Brush-0Q32110020/100357411

Love these, they have a magnet inside to hold your brush out of the paint when you take a break
www.homedepot.com/p/HANDy-Paint-Pail-HANDy-16-oz-Red-Plastic-Paint-Cup-with-Magnet-1500-CT/202245288

I prefer fabric drop-cloths over plastic b/c fabric will absorb any splatters, whereas plastic doesn't and then you end up tracking it all over. I just use old sheets but you can get cheap ones at HD or Lowes.

FWIW, I find a lot of the tools specifically marketed for cutting in, corners, etc. to be kind of a waste of money. I'd rather just have a good brush and not a lot of gimmicky stuff. But that's just me!

[mwhip]

I agree with flamingo. We haven't used primer on any of our walls. If you do Home Depot, I prefer their Behr paint over the Glidden, it covered much better. I could have used primer when I painted the red walls gray, but didn't and the 2nd coat covered everything. I didn't tape anything off, but only because we are going to paint all of our trim eventually as well. We went with eggshell finish as well.

[flamingo]

oh, and one other thing...when you're done for the day, or just need a break, wrap your rollers and brushes in aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Keeps them moist for up to a couple days. I've never refrigerated mine but some people do that after wrapping them up.

[lahdeedah]

That helps a lot flamingo. Thanks! I had no idea about the 'cutting in' thing. I watched the video of how to do it on the page of the first brush you linked.

Also thanks mwhip. Good to know Behr over Glidden. If anyone has any preference on the Lowe's brands, please share! I'll go check out both stores for the right color.

[nam2013]

@ladeedah one thing I learned the hard way... do not let the tape stay on for to long (more than a few day) especially one windows it becomes a nightmare to remove.

[lahdeedah]

As far as color goes, I want to keep it similar to what the original color is, but thinking about a griege. The trim/doors is a cream/off white and it is fine so I'm not re-doing the trim and want a color that will work well with it. This pic shows the current color on the walls next to the trim/door color and carpet. Should I keep it similar or would a griege work? Ideas?

[lahdeedah]

Other pic- You can see the smudges in M’s room.

[mwhip]

lahdeedah Your wall color, trim color, and carpet are similar to what we previously had. I would suggest getting a little sample and painting, let the sun hit it. Based off the card, we thought the colors we picked would be great, but now think they're too light. H even says our living room color looks purple, at certain times of the day. We didn't go dark enough, but thought it was based off the color card.

[flamingo]

Agree with mwhip 's suggestion to test colors. You can always paint on pieces of posterboard if you don't want big splotches on the wall. I think greige would definitely work. I'll see if any of the blogs I follow have any recs for Behr or Lowe's-equivalent paint colors in that family and let you know!

[trtlcrzy]

Jul 2, 2018 12:31:23 GMT -6 flamingo said:

oh, and one other thing...when you're done for the day, or just need a break, wrap your rollers and brushes in aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Keeps them moist for up to a couple days. I've never refrigerated mine but some people do that after wrapping them up.

I stick mine in the refrigerator with plastic wrap on them.

[trtlcrzy]

Unlike flamingo I am not great at cutting in but these things work awesome! Just make sure the rollers don’t get paint on them.
m.lowes.com/pd/SHUR-LINE-Edger-Pro/50369766

I also like to get the disposable liners for paint trays, makes clean up much easier. We have used the Valspar reserve and signature and both worked equally well.