Basic Interior Painting Techniques

Interior painting techniques build upon simple steps that provide the foundation for a quality completed product:

1. Any surface that needs a base coat (or multiple coats) needs to be primed as well. Priming is not a precise paint job but rather a base for subsequent coats to adhere to and provide a backing for color.
2. Paint a room in the same order as the primer was applied. This often means ceiling first and following up with the walls, working from top to bottom. This way any paint runs or drops are rolled into the paint and none are the wiser.
3. Paint trim (around doors or windows, for example) after the walls have been painted. This is another area where working from the top to the bottom of the room--crown moulding, chair rails, then baseboards--is the preferred strategy.

Paint Application

Painting with a brush is the best way to get detailed and specific when working interior painting techniques. This makes brushes handy for working in corners and building up paint around the edges, making rolling the greater surface of the wall much easier. With a painting roller, more care has to be taken to load the roller successfully:

• Clear the roller of any lint, if it is still new. Rolling it onto masking tape works quickly for this.
• Fill a roller tray with paint but only in the reservoir end. This is the deeper end of the tray.
• Remove excess paint from roller. After dipping the roller in the reservoir, it should be rolled across the ribbed shallow end a few times to spread the paint out.
• Paint! When working with a ceiling, a roller on an extension will make this easiest. Painting in M/W-shaped strokes, filling the empty spaces is the fastest approach. Care should be taken when loading the roller. For walls, the same M/W-strategy works very well. The most important detail here is to not overload the roller!

Techniques for Anyone

Any homeowner, armed with brush and paint, can tackle an interior paint project. The more elaborate projects obviously benefit from professional input but home interior painting techniques are not out of the reach of anyone.