10 Things To Know Before Painting A Room

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1. Different paint finishes have different advantages: High gloss paint is very durable and cleans easily but can enhance imperfections on a beat up wall. Flat paint hides imperfections well but is much easier to damage than high gloss finish paint. Eggshell is a good in between option.
2. Don't necessarily fear color: Choosing the right color can add great texture and depth to a room and can transform a boring room into a beautiful space. If you don't like a color once it's on the wall, just paint over it!
3. Small samples are a good idea: It's very hard to use a paint swatch to tell what a color will look like on a wall. If you don't want to invest in a "test gallon", look for a small sample can that many manufacturers are now offering.
4. Square footage isn't the only consideration you should make: You do need to know the square footage of a space in order to determine the amount of paint needed but that is not the only thing you need to know. Determine if you are priming the wall first and how many coats you need to do.
5. Get ready for lot's of prep work: Around 80% of your time should actually be used to do prep work before actually painting. Spend time making your walls as flat as possible and also clean them before applying paint.
6. Primer is important: Primer seals the surface of your walls and creates a great base for the paint. If you have spackled your walls, primer is essential; unprimed spackle will look shiny under the paint.
7. Don't cut in a line: Do brushwork in the corners before you begin rolling the paint. Rolling after the brushwork will make any brush strokes disappear, creating a nice even surface. 
8. Rollers may apply more than just paint: Use masking tape to remove any extra fibers from the roller before painting. If you don't do this, any loose fibers will become permanently attached to your wall.
9. Don't overextend yourself: Extension poles are great for cutting out time and effort in a painting job. The benefits of extension poles definitely outweigh the price.
10. "Box" your paint: It may look high-tech but a paint mixer can create variations from can to can. You definitely want to avoid having two shades of the same color on one wall. To avoid this problem, have all of your paint mixed before you start painting. Boxing your paint allows you to have the same color throughout the room.