Need expert's advice on how to paint a wall

[camaross]

Just bought my first house the last weekend. Now I am thinking to paint some of the rooms with good color. The problem is that I've never painted a wall before. So I will need your help.

I just ordered some rollers, brushes, a paint pail, a paint brush and roller cleaner. I also heard that Benjamin Moore aura paints are good.

Someone said I should paint a "W" then back, and another guy said, always up, down, and dip, and never move the roller at an angle.

Someone said, I should wait one or two days before I apply the next coating, others said that's way too long and I should never wait till the paint is dry.

Would someone please share with me your experiences? What are things that I should be aware of?
Thanks.

============
Thank you so much for sharing your precious experiences, folks. Below is a summary that I put together. Please let me know if I missed anything. I am sure this will help my project tremendously. I will post pictures if I can get my painting done in a timely fashion.

Shopping:
- buy Benjamin Moore or Sherwin Williams paint
- buy Purdy brushes
- use Floetrol additive
- use white satin for ceilings.

Things to keep in mind:
- always use proper floor protection (floors are hard to clean, but drop clothes are not).
- never lay the tray where you will be walking.
- brushes can be cleaned, but rollers should be discarded.
- wash your brushes if you plan to stop for more than half an hour.

Painting procedures:
- Ceiling first.
- Preparation of the wall is the key.
- prime the brush with water for latex paint (never paint with a dry brush).
- paint the corners with brush first, then everything else with rollers.
- hand cutting is better than taping, if practiced well.
- make the last pass going the same direction.
- remember to pull off tapes before paint is dry.

 

[csp]

There's already a metric **** ton of painting basics on the web, so I'm not getting into technique. In the end it's not rocket science, so don't attempt to turn it into rocket science.

Your paint can will have times needed between re-coats printed on the instruction. Follow them.

 

[mayday0017]

Couple things I will recommend....

Do not buy cheap junk paint, I only buy SW paint they can match anything I need matched and they sell quality paint. I always use Promar 200...

I like Eggshell finish on walls because it isn't very glossy at all (very close to flat) but you can wipe stuff off the walls and clean them over the years as stuff gets on them.

I recommend painting ceiling unless it was done recently, it doesn't take much effort to paint ceiling first, use flat paint, and let it get on the walls (just no runs) I can paint ceiling in a standard bedroom in about 30 minutes, if I do ceiling in same room after doing walls you are talking 4 hours... Painting ceiling will make a HUGE difference in how new the room looks, most people are to lazy/cheap to do it, but trust me it is money and time well spent!

 

[CORTEZSS69]

Always use tape for your edging, especially when you first learn how to paint, and always lay down flooring covering. One more thing never lay your tray where you will be walking because you will step in or trip over it and paint will go everywhere.. Not that I have ever done any the above. Good luck with your project.

 

[RECox286]

The actual paint application is the easiest and fastest part of painting. IMHO, it

should be called Prepping, rather than painting. If you don't do the prep correctly,

there is no paint that will make a room look good. That said, use any technique you

desire, but do the prep work first and correctly. You will know when this is right

after the full ground (primer) coat is dry. Look at all the surfaces, and if you see

anything that doesn't look right, the finish paint will make it stand out worse, just

like a sore thumb. Fix it to satisfaction, then when everything looks good, and

is dry (can will give you an idea of dry times) go ahead with the top coat.

Things to remember: Paint is hard to clean off of floors, but drop cloths are easy to

pick up once you have finished. Get and use the proper brush for the paint you are

using. Clean your brush thoroughly when paint starts to get near your hand. If you

are using latex, (probably) pan liners for the roller pan work much better than trying

to clean the pan. A twirly roller and brush cleaning tool and trash can do a really

great job cleaning the brushes and rollers when you are done. If you wrap the brush

or roller in food wrap, and put them in the freezer, you can break for lunch or dinner

w/o having to clean up, then resume painting after your break. As said before, when

doing finish painting, ceiling first, then when dry, cut the wall to the ceiling with a brush

and keeping a wet surface, roll the wall before the cut dries. That means juggling both

brush and roller at the same time. Use a flat white or off-white for ceiling to hide any

imperfections the surface may have. Use a Semi-whatever color on walls, which will not

hide imperfections as well, but will withstand a certain amount of cleaning. Use a full

gloss on any wood trim to extenuate it.

There are many more hints, and probably some I don't know. Maybe a good thing would

be to obtain a how-to book or pamphlet on the subject from a source like HD, Lowe's or

the like.

Good luck

Uncle Bob

 

[djjsr]

Benjamin Moore Aura paint is very good, top rated by Consumer Reports, but a little pricey. Sherwin Williams is also real good and usually a little cheaper. If you're in the midwest around a Menards store, the Dutchboy Platinum is a great paint for the money. All 3 of these are no primer paints.

Any of these paints should cover with one coat if you're using good brushes and rollers. Stay away from cheap bushes, they're usually not soft enough and cheap rollers may shed fuzz into your paint.

Check out Purdy brushes, they're excellent.

 

[Krash Kadillak]

I've had very good results with Behr Paint from HD.

 

[Zeke]

Uncle Bob, good tips there except for the freezer. Leave a brush or roller too long in the deep freeze and it will be hard. Better to wrap tightly and leave out for short periods (up to hours) or put in fridge.

OP, use pole on your roller frame. Seeing people on TV rolling a wall on their knees or off a ladder is ludicrous. Roll up and down overlapping a lot; so you do have to go at an angle or you'll just wear out the wall. Like UB says, the painting part is 10% of all the work you will expend. Do it w/o an extension pole and you will work 3 times as hard.

 

[mayday0017]

Learn to cut in by hand tape will not give the same results as cutting in by hand and taping and painting takes longer too once you get decent at cutting... There are times to tape and times to cut in by hand but learning what those are can be tricky, personally I tape trim and hand cut drywall.

Most important thing about tape PULL TAPE WHILE PAINT IS WET! If you don't do this you will end up with results that make you very disapointed.

 

[Professur]

 

[mayday0017]

I toss my rollers when done, I am not a professional painter so the slight money I would save isn't worth it. But I do wrap them with aluminum foil very well and toss them on the shelf, I have came back to that same roller 3 weeks later and it is still wet, slid it back on and used it for touch up's

 

[camaross]

Wow, you guys are amazing! This is very helpful.

I will have to spend some time to digest all of your good advice.


Thank you so much!

 

[Zeke]

I toss my rollers when done, I am not a professional painter so the slight money I would save isn't worth it. But I do wrap them with aluminum foil very well and toss them on the shelf, I have came back to that same roller 3 weeks later and it is still wet, slid it back on and used it for touch up's

Some folks leave the overs in the paint. You really have to buy good brushes and learn how to clean them. I have brushes that were used almost daily (I used to rotate them) that are years old and they are clean down to the ferrel.

 

[csp]

Uncle Bob, good tips there except for the freezer. Leave a brush or roller too long in the deep freeze and it will be hard.

I would guess that Uncle Bob is aware that most things do solidify when frozen. Just gotta plan ahead and get them out earlier than you want to use them.

 

[Zeke]

I would guess that Uncle Bob is aware that most things do solidify when frozen. Just gotta plan ahead and get them out earlier than you want to use them.

You'd be surprised. I do put oil based brushes in the freeze. Old timers remember oil based paints.

 

[mayday0017]

Some folks leave the overs in the paint. You really have to buy good brushes and learn how to clean them. I have brushes that were used almost daily (I used to rotate them) that are years old and they are clean down to the ferrel.

I buy Purdy brushes and clean them, been using the same one for a couple years now have almost repainted the whole house with it... Roller on the other hand I am never happy with once they have been cleaned and dried and for $6 I can buy 3 rollers that are decent so why bother cleaning them and being unhappy with them. Sticking them in the paint can isn't a bad idea but not sure if that would be a good long term thing would it?

 

[Dale B]

In 1978 , I got all the leftover white paint I could round up from my relatives , mostly cheap **** from standard Brands here in So Cal, but there was some B.Moore and Behr too as I recall . I mixed them all together in a five gallon bucket , Some had thickened , so I added some water as needed. The color was an off white , looked good , so I sprayed the stucco ceiling with my Binks 18 gun , and rolled the walls after cutting in the windows . I'm sitting in that same room , the paint looks great except where I scraped a corner last year. Prolly about time to gather up and mix another batch anyway ....Oh , total price ? just the gas money to go get all those half empty gallons and quarts....Back then ? Maybe $3 ??

 

[Trainman]

Another vote here for SW paint, especially the Duration line. Not cheap, but I've never had to apply a second coat, unlike Behr (Home Depot) or Olympic (Lowes).

 

[camaross]

Thank you so much for the ceiling ideas. This is great to know. I will make sure to paint the ceilings before painting the walls.

Couple things I will recommend....

Do not buy cheap junk paint, I only buy SW paint they can match anything I need matched and they sell quality paint. I always use Promar 200...

I like Eggshell finish on walls because it isn't very glossy at all (very close to flat) but you can wipe stuff off the walls and clean them over the years as stuff gets on them.

I recommend painting ceiling unless it was done recently, it doesn't take much effort to paint ceiling first, use flat paint, and let it get on the walls (just no runs) I can paint ceiling in a standard bedroom in about 30 minutes, if I do ceiling in same room after doing walls you are talking 4 hours... Painting ceiling will make a HUGE difference in how new the room looks, most people are to lazy/cheap to do it, but trust me it is money and time well spent!

 

[BRIANBB]

I use Purdy supplies because they are made in the USA. All points above will help you a lot.

 

[green.bubbly]

Put a little of this stuff in your paint if you are using a brush. Helps prevent brush stokes and makes the brush slide easier. Only other suggestion is if you are using a roller on the wall, always make the last pass going the same direction. If you finish one area going up and the next area going down, the light will reflect off the paint differently.

Learn how to cut in and trim with a brush. I hate painting but I hate taping off stuff even more. Once you get decent at cutting in, there is little need to tape. It is not that hard, just takes a little practice.

 

[east_tn_emc]

Couple things I will recommend....

Do not buy cheap junk paint, I only buy SW paint they can match anything I need matched and they sell quality paint. I always use Promar 200...

spent!

I totally agree...SW paint is the best.

One other suggestion..and this one was a hard-lesson for me to learn.....swallow your pride and tell the people at the Sherwin Williams store you dont know what you are doing and need help. THEY WILL BE VERY HAPPY TO HELP YOU. Most of the managers have had a great deal of training on how to paint, and how to deal with difficult paint situations/problems. Use their knowledge. They are happy to help!

 

[tegguy]

Give this a read http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/how-to-paint-a-room/index.html

 

[gpalmer77]

+1 on Floetrol, that stuff is golden. Keeping a wet edge is easy, works flawlessly for semi-gloss finishes on interior walls. A good friend put me onto this stuff, and it works every time.

Buy good brushes, clean them every time.

Buy decent roller covers, clean the fluff off them first with a wet towel. Toss them when you're done.

Cut in by hand, tape is never as good, wet or dry. I cheat and drag a tiny bead of wall color onto the ceiling by about 1/16", even if you're not perfect, from most viewing angles, it looks great. Use brushes, not those silly edging tools. Clean up corners first with a sanding block.

Prep is the key, after priming, lightly rub the wall with a fine sanding block to knock any debris off, then wipe down to clean.

Never understood the "painting a W", just makes it hard work. I paint in ~4x4 squares, and the Floetrol helps keep a wet edge.

I use white satin regular paint for ceilings, looks way better than ceiling paint. If you're paying attention, you don't need pink paint that turns white.

Best piece of advice I ever received was to look at what you just painted, not what you have left to paint.

 

[gpalmer77]

I use Behr paint from Home Depot.

Yeah, Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore are awesome, but it'll cost you double. They're not twice as good IMHO.

 

[tskills10]

This was an interesting thread to read for me. I've done a fair bit of painting over the years and still find room to improve on things. It isn't rocket science, but there really is a bit a thought that goes into making things look good. I have found that Purdy brushes are the way to go, and I've gotten tired of cleaning rollers so they find the trash can once done. I too reccommend painting the ceiling first, really does make a difference. As I have told my wife several times this summer I'm not doing any painting this summer. I save those jobs for the winter inside work, too much else to done outside. good luck with your project.

 

[mayday0017]

I use Behr paint from Home Depot.

Yeah, Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore are awesome, but it'll cost you double. They're not twice as good IMHO.

Sherwin Williams is 2x as good as Behr, as it goes 2x as far and that makes it cut your paint time in 1/2 too...

Got in a rush to paint a bathroom went and bought Behr paint from the box store since it was in the evening and SW was closed. Took 1 full gallon to paint the bathroom and 2 coats, still have some spots you can see through. SW I can paint a complete bedroom with 1 gallon and normally have some left over. I am now having problems with leeching in the bathroom I used Behr paint in as well, and have read up and it is a fairly common problem with Behr. So now I have to go through a bunch of trouble to fix that and repaint it again anyways with SW paint so I don't buy anything but SW now. That being said BM paint is good paint too from what I hear. SW has great sells pretty often so check their website out, they have 40% sales regularly.


+1 on using white paint, I use the same Promar 200 on the ceilings as I do on the walls I just don't have them add color to it so it is white paint. Makes all the difference in the world on how it looks. Ceiling paint is cheaper but doesn't look near as good and typically we don't paint ceilings often so do it with good paint once and you most likely won't have to do it again while you live in that house.

 

[gpalmer77]

Sherwin Williams is 2x as good as Behr, as it goes 2x as far and that makes it cut your paint time in 1/2 too...

Got in a rush to paint a bathroom went and bought Behr paint from the box store since it was in the evening and SW was closed. Took 1 full gallon to paint the bathroom and 2 coats, still have some spots you can see through. SW I can paint a complete bedroom with 1 gallon and normally have some left over. I am now having problems with leeching in the bathroom I used Behr paint in as well, and have read up and it is a fairly common problem with Behr. So now I have to go through a bunch of trouble to fix that and repaint it again anyways with SW paint so I don't buy anything but SW now. That being said BM paint is good paint too from what I hear. SW has great sells pretty often so check their website out, they have 40% sales regularly.


+1 on using white paint, I use the same Promar 200 on the ceilings as I do on the walls I just don't have them add color to it so it is white paint. Makes all the difference in the world on how it looks. Ceiling paint is cheaper but doesn't look near as good and typically we don't paint ceilings often so do it with good paint once and you most likely won't have to do it again while you live in that house.

Most of my recent painting has been on virgin drywall, as we replaced all the old plaster in the house. So, 2 or 3 coats of primer, then 2 or 3 coats of finish no matter what paint I use.

I used Benjamin Moore in the attic space and wasn't sold, especially considering the price..... again, I was painting the whole house. With Behr, and using flood, I was getting comparable coverage with the Behr paint.

 

[RKA]

I use Behr paint from Home Depot.

Yeah, Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore are awesome, but it'll cost you double. They're not twice as good IMHO.

That's not entirely true. About 6-8 times a year SW does a 30% off sale and another 2-3 times a year they do 40% off paint and 30% off supplies. If you do the math, every 4-6 weeks they are running some kind of significant sale on their paint. Just sign up with your email on their website and you'll get the notification. So you'll spend $25-30 for Behr and $35 for SW, and the SW paint will cover and level better.

 

[Herb]

Yes, I would have to second the idea that the last pass with the roller should always be in the same direction as the others as it WILL reflect the light differently causing the appearance of light and dark spots. I also recommend using only microfiber rollers. I used to think foam rollers left a nice finish, but microfiber rollers seem to leave a much better finish and tend to leave a cleaner wet edge and virtually no fuzz or fluff in the paint. I use them for priming and top coats, and I always sand the primer before top coating. Spend the time, more time than most will tell you is neccessary, and enjoy the better than most others paint job that result.

 

[RECox286]

I have yet to come back from a "break" to find my roller or brush

frozen in the freezer. But thx for your input Zeke. I supose I am

showing my age...Never used lead base paint, but very rarely had

the need to use water colors either. MAB, DB, BM and SW oil base

was all we ever used, inside or out. Never had a dissatisfied customer,

or a need to come back until the weather here at the shore had

done its' worst to the paint over the course of many years.

Uncle Bob

 

[rlitman]

Always use tape for your edging, especially when you first learn how to paint, and always lay down flooring covering. One more thing never lay your tray where you will be walking because you will step in or trip over it and paint will go everywhere.. Not that I have ever done any the above. Good luck with your project.

Uch. I've had the worst luck with taped in edges. Paint running under the tape, tape pulling paint (even when I use the purple or green stuff, and pull it when it is still wet). And I have textured stucco walls downstairs. Tape cannot follow that surface, but I can still cut in a crisp line in a corner, doing it the right way with a brush.

Learn to cut in by hand tape will not give the same results as cutting in by hand and taping and painting takes longer too once you get decent at cutting... There are times to tape and times to cut in by hand but learning what those are can be tricky, personally I tape trim and hand cut drywall.

Most important thing about tape PULL TAPE WHILE PAINT IS WET! If you don't do this you will end up with results that make you very disapointed.

This! I have a Purdy Clearcut brush that I like most for edges, but most any regular Purdy brush is ok too. Do NOT try this with cheap brushes.
The good brushes will fan out to a really nice and crisp line when you make contact with the surface you're painting. The Clearcut Purdys have less "flagging" on the tips, which gives for a slightly cleaner line, but it holds less paint.

When cutting in a ceiling, you do the ceiling first, overlapping the wall a little bit. Then you do the wall, going up to the ceiling corner (this is where you want the crispest brush line, and where I use the Clearcut).

Do ALL of your corners first, leaving enough room to overlap what you did with the roller later. Then roll everything. That way you don't have brush marks showing up over the roller texture.

Uncle Bob, good tips there except for the freezer. Leave a brush or roller too long in the deep freeze and it will be hard. Better to wrap tightly and leave out for short periods (up to hours) or put in fridge.
. . .
You'd be surprised. I do put oil based brushes in the freeze. Old timers remember oil based paints.

Yeah, the freezer was the best for oil based paint. It would dry much slower, and the solvent in the paint in the center of the brush, would be sufficient to prevent the paint on the outside from forming a skin in a reasonable amount of time. Latex will skin right over.

That's why I don't suggest putting a brush away with latex paint on it (even wrapped).
That just makes paint cake up about an inch down from the ferrule, and makes the bristles too stiff. You want those bristles nice, clean, and flexible to get the most out of your brush.

First, never start painting with a dry brush.
If using oil based paint, dip the brush in mineral spirits. If using latex paint, get it wet with water. Then, give the brush a good spin (I do it between my palms, but a brush spinner works too). That will get the brush to just the right dryness, and also adjust the bristles to not be twisted up. Then smooth the bristles between the sides of two fingers, to pack them together into shape, and clip off any messed up bristles.

Now, once you want to stop painting latex paint for more than half an hour, give your brush a good washing. Latex dries so fast, that it will even cake up while you're painting, after a couple of hours of work (without even time for breaks).

Use good brushes, treat them right, and you'll be fine.

 

[Zeke]

FWIW, Behr has been rated no. 1 by Consumer Reports many times as has BM. SW is very good. In fact, I give all three 5 stars along with a couple of others. rLitman, there are some really good tips in your post. As a union trained and one time painting contractor, I didn't always do that with a brush, but it's good advice. I have had brushes want to "cry" when I dipped them in solvent. I guess I didn't spin them out enough.

 

[camaross]

Thank you for sharing the miracle of "Floetrol", plus the trick of last passing going the same direction.

Put a little of this stuff in your paint if you are using a brush. Helps prevent brush stokes and makes the brush slide easier. Only other suggestion is if you are using a roller on the wall, always make the last pass going the same direction. If you finish one area going up and the next area going down, the light will reflect off the paint differently.

Learn how to cut in and trim with a brush. I hate painting but I hate taping off stuff even more. Once you get decent at cutting in, there is little need to tape. It is not that hard, just takes a little practice.

 

[mayday0017]

FWIW, Behr has been rated no. 1 by Consumer Reports many times as has BM. SW is very good. In fact, I give all three 5 stars along with a couple of others. rLitman, there are some really good tips in your post. As a union trained and one time painting contractor, I didn't always do that with a brush, but it's good advice. I have had brushes want to "cry" when I dipped them in solvent. I guess I didn't spin them out enough.

Just FYI Consumer Reports is NOT a good place to go for research, they are paid to push products it has been proven time and time again.

All that said, this guy can use whatever he wants we are just sharing our real life personal first hand experiances with the paints we have used. This guy can try whatever kind he wants....

Edit: I think CR is ok to use, if you read the results carefully: they tend to pick based on their preception of value, so you sometimes see products passed over that score better [performance wise] but cost a bit more & they go off "list price" not real world price.

If SW paint was $100gal and B paint was $25/gal I'd prob go with B, but with SW paint at $35/gal and B at $25 I'll buy SW every time cause I've used both and know what to expect from them. But Consumer Reports would of compaired $25 to $100 and when you look at it that way I would buy B paint every day of the week.

 

[rlitman]

Just to be fair, SW paint goes on all sorts of sales, all the time.
Go to the store, get on their mailing list, and a few times a year, you'll get as much as 40% off. At that point, it is hard to compare their prices. It seems like you can get it for at least 25% off retail, every other week.

That being all said, I've had a pretty bad experience with one of their paints. It was a strong blue (almost electric), and required FIVE coats to cover over pre-tinted primer. Really?!? And then you wipe it with a damp paper towel, YEARS later, and the blue still rubs off. From a satin finish, at that. That one experience really ticked me off.

 

[camaross]

Thank you so much, folks. Below is a summary that I put together. Please let me know if I missed anything. I am sure this will help my project tremendously. I will post pictures if I can get my painting done in a timely fashion.

Shopping:
- buy Benjamin Moore or Sherwin Williams paint
- buy Purdy brushes
- use Floetrol additive
- use white satin for ceilings.

Things to keep in mind:
- always use proper floor protection (floors are hard to clean, but drop clothes are not).
- never lay the tray where you will be walking.
- brushes can be cleaned, but rollers should be discarded.
- wash your brushes if you plan to stop for more than half an hour.

Painting procedures:
- Ceiling first.
- Preparation of the wall is the key.
- prime the brush with water for latex paint (never paint with a dry brush).
- paint the corners with brush first, then everything else with rollers.
- hand cutting is better than taping, if practiced well.
- make the last pass going the same direction.
- remember to pull off tapes before paint is dry.

 

[csp]

I use Behr paint from Home Depot.

Yeah, Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore are awesome, but it'll cost you double. They're not twice as good IMHO.

I haven't bought SW for several years, but Benjamin Moore is not double the cost. We used both brands when we built five years ago and BM was probably $5-6 per gallon more than Behr and it covered MUCH better. Price/square foot of coverage is probably less using SW or BM.

 

[gpalmer77]

I haven't bought SW for several years, but Benjamin Moore is not double the cost. We used both brands when we built five years ago and BM was probably $5-6 per gallon more than Behr and it covered MUCH better. Price/square foot of coverage is probably less using SW or BM.

I was looking at $20-22 for Behr at the Home Depot, $35-40 plus for SW or BM. Suburbs of Chicago last year when I did the bulk of the painting. With the flood, coverage has been about the same between the two price ranges, admittedly, without flood, Behr does not go as far. 2-3 finish coats depending on color for both.

One of the benefits I was told by a friend of the BM and SW paint was the longevity, hard to tell so far. I'm a big fan of semi-gloss on walls, which is hard to do right, shows everything - especially on a fresh drywall job. That is why I did my own taping. Semi-gloss cleans up better and IMHO looks better with age. Of course, this all means nothing when my two year old throws toys at the wall.

;-)

Besides, what I save in paint, I put towards my four post lift. End of argument. He he.

 

[porschedude996TT]

A painter just recently recommened the color Swiss Coffee (Very close to white, don't think of brown at all) for the ceilings. It is the current trend. I had the cottage cheese removed from my ceilings last month and had them painted Kelly Moore Swiss Coffee. Each of the major paint makers have their own version and once you pick the one you like, any of the brand paint stores will mix any others recipe.