Painting Walls & Interiors – Tip Sheet

How To Tell If A Wall Is Painted With Oil Paint Or Latex: Pour some non-acetone nail polish remover or rubbing alcohol onto a clean rag and scrub the wall. If the paint is stripped then it’s latex, if the surface is unaffected it’s oil paint.

Can You Apply Latex Paint Over Oil Paint (and vice versa)? It’s possible if you prime the area first or sand the surface really well so the paint can grab onto the surface and adhere. Debbie Travis says no–unless you prime the area first with an alkyd primer. True Value Paint says it’s ok as long as the previous finish is flat or if it has been sanded (or apply a primer).

What Kind Of Paint Brushes To Use: If painting with Latex, choose a synthetic bristle brush (nylon/polyester). For oil based paint, natural bristles will work well. Buy good quality paint brushes, cheap is not the way to go (they lose hairs more easily and don’t do as good a job).

Are Budget Priced Paints OK?: Buy the best paint and paint brushes that your budget allows, these are two things you don’t want to go cheap. Cheap paint tends to not wear as well nor stretch as far, meaning you’ll have to buy more paint per job as well as paint more frequently. I learned this the hard way.

What Shades Of Paint Work Best: Light shades of paint for smaller rooms (to help them look bigger), darker shades for a more enclosed feeling so a large room won’t feel so overwhelming.

What Paint Finish To Choose: The higher the sheen, the easier it is to spot imperfections in the surface (the gloss reflects light). Paints with a higher gloss sheen are easier to scrub and wash, these are good for trims, kitchens and bathrooms. A flat paint is good for ceilings and eggshell finish is good for most walls. For hallways and entrances, a satin finish will provide a bit better scrubbable surface than eggshell. See Flat, Eggshell or Satin – Oh My! for a more detailed breakdown.

How Much Paint To Buy: Calculate the square footage of the room you are painting, then check the paint you are wanting to buy. The can should specify how much surface area it will cover.

Preparing Walls For Painting: Wash walls first with TSP so the surface is as clean as possible before applying paint. TSP also acts as a deglosser, this helps the fresh coat of paint adhere to the surface. Make sure to rinse the cleaner off and allow to fully dry before applying paint. If the paint is a high gloss, do some sanding first before applying a new coat of paint. Also make any necessary repairs (filling nail holes, dings, scratches) and sand as needed.

Painting Over Glossy Finishes: When painting over high gloss areas, you will need to sand the surface first so the new coat of paint will adhere to the surface. Washing in TSP as well as applying a coat of primer also help.

Paint in Order: Ceiling, then walls, then trims and frames

Cut In First: For a neater job, do your cut-in work first then paint the rest of the area with paint rollers. For some tips on cutting in, here’s a helpful video:

Taking A Break: Wrap all paint brushes, rollers and paint trays with plastic wrap so the paint won’t dry out before you can start painting again. This trick will keep the paint wet for several hours to overnight. Also see this tip for easy paint tray cleanup (Tip #16).

Keep A Project File: Save the paint chips used in each room for future reference. This comes in handy if any repair work is needed or it’s time to repaint the room but you want the same color, you’ll be able to purchase the exact shade of paint needed.

Extra Paint: Seal some of the leftover paint in a glass jar (baby jar or small mason jar) to keep on hand for touchup work as needed. Check with your local recycling center on how to dispose of paint safely in your area.

Another Handy Resource:

• Lowe’s How To Library: Painting an Interior Room

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