Get It In One Trip

So you've finally decided to paint your living room.  You've chosen the color and are now ready to go buy some paint.  At this point, you need to remember that you'll need more than just a bucket of paint and a paint brush.  I can't tell you how many times I've gotten excited about making a color change and been missing supplies.

Remember this simple motto:  Three rights prevent wrongs!  Be sure to PREP right, to use the right TOOLS and definitely use the right APPLICATION.

Preparation is key to getting your room painted in a timely manner.  Moving your furniture away from the walls is great, but don't forget to use a drop cloth to cover the exposed flooring.  This will cause you less headaches when you're on your hands and knees scrubbing paint out of your carpet or off your hardwood after you've stepped in it an mashed it down....then tracked it out of the room as you went for a damp cloth....and found you rubbed against the newly painted wall on your way out of the room......not that I've ever done that.

Using Painter's Tape around edges you'll be painting is a must.  Most of us have a roll of masking tape in the "junk drawer" in the kitchen, but Painter's Tape will cause you less frustration.  It's made to adhere to the surface to block out the paint, but not enough to pull away the paint like masking tape does.  Be sure you pull the Painter's tape off before it gets totally dry to prevent any peeling of the new color.

Tools are key!  The finished look of your wall will be a direct reflection of the tools you use to apply the paint.  That old roller cover you've washed out a few times may LOOK okay, but it will certainly show it's age when you start painting.  Get a new roller cover, for heaven's sake, and throw that nappy cover away.  You will be glad you did.

Disposable paint tray liners are a fabulous invention.  I wish I would have come up with it because they make clean-up so much easier.  So does a 2" angled brush.  Trying to cut in by the ceiling or down a door frame is a breeze with the right paint brush.  I hate trying to wipe Caliente (red) paint off the ceiling (causing a big pink smear that I then have to get a can of white ceiling paint after) because I used the wrong kind of brush.   A good quality brush will make a difference.

Apply your paint liberally in 3-4 foot increments.  Roll your paint in a "W" pattern and fill in open areas using horizontal strokes with your roller.  This is the fun part!  Once you start rolling, the project seems to go quickly.  Before you know it, you're done!  The room is transformed and you can stand back and see what an awesome painter you are.

In a nutshell:  Right Prep, Right Tools, Right Application.  Piece of cake!