3. PAINT

Generally, the best advice that we can give you is that you should paint from the corners into the middle, and from the top to the bottom. So if you're painting a wall, start at the top corners, and work your way in, painting from the top to the bottom.

Your order of attack should be as follows:

Ceilings
Walls
Floors
Doors
Windows

Ceilings

  1. You should always paint the ceiling first. Start out by painting a 2 or 3 inch strip at the top where the ceiling meets the wall starting in the corner. This strip is called a "cut in" and it makes your paint job look nice and neat. You will use a long-handled roller to do the rest.

  2. Pour paint into roller tray.

  3. Dip the roller in paint and remove excess paint by running over the bumps or ridges in the tray.

  4. Start in the corner and go along the shortest length of the ceiling to keep the paint fresh and wet.

  5. Paint while the "cut in" is wet to prevent an obvious line.

  6. Do not stop the roller in mid-stroke. If you do, start that line over.

  7. Continue until the ceiling is done.

  8. Apply a second coat in the exact same way once the first coat has dried.

Walls

  1. Start painting the walls only when the ceiling is completely dry (at least 24 hours).

  2. Use masking tape to cover the edge of the ceiling to prevent splattering and protect the trim.

  3. Repeat tape application along baseboards and other trim if those areas are not being painted.

  4. Paint a 2 inch strip with a small brush on the wall where it meets the ceiling.

  5. With a roller, paint immediately over this cut in to prevent the paint from drying. Repeat procedure and paint one wall at a time.

  6. Paint in square-sized sections, going up and down and then across to ensure you have applied a good coat without lines. Simply running the roller up and down the wall may result in a stripe-y look when the paint dries.

  7. Apply a second coat in the exact same way once the first coat has dried.

Floors

Always start in the corner diagonally opposite to the door, lest you paint yourself into a corner. Again, do it quickly and thoroughly; the paint job will look splotchy if you let some parts dry.

Doors

  1. Cover knobs, locks and all hardware with masking tape. Once you have painted a keyhole shut, you will never make the same mistake again.

  2. If the door is flat, treat it like a wall and don't forget to paint the edges (both the side with the hinges and the side with the lock).

  3. If the door has panels, do the interior panel edges first and then the inside of the panel. Continue to paint the rest of the door.

  4. Apply a second coat in the exact same way once the first coat has dried.

Windows

Windows are not as easy as they look. For starters, you don't want to paint them shut, especially if you live in a hot place. There are two types of windows, so figure out which ones you have and follow the directions.

CASEMENT WINDOWS:. These windows swing outside to open. They are the easy ones:

  1. Open the window.

  2. Paint the edges.

  3. Paint the interior casing.

  4. Paint the woodwork surrounding the window (like the sill) last.

  5. Do not shut the window until the paint has dried.

DOUBLE-HUNG WINDOWS: These windows are divided into two major panes and open by sliding the bottom half up. Needless to say, they are a pain to paint:

  1. Start by moving each pane to the middle of its area, leaving an open space at the very top and bottom of the window.

  2. Paint all the interior woodwork you can reach that is on the window panes.

  3. Move the panes back so they are almost closed. Paint the rest of the interior woodwork.

  4. Paint the interior casing of the window. Don't forget the inner edge where the panes move up and down, called the rails.

  5. Move both panes up and paint the lower portion.

  6. Let dry.

  7. Move both panes down and paint the upper rails.

  8. Let dry.

Finally, remember that you should keep the windows open in a painted room for a couple days to let the fumes out. They can become quite overpowering. A mask of some sort might help too.