Ask any painter and they will tell you the same thing: about two thirds of a good interior paint job happens before any color goes on the wall. The difference between a room that looks professionally painted and one that looks like a weekend project is almost never the paint. It is the prep. Here is how we get a room ready, and what you can do ahead of time to make the job faster and cheaper.
Before we arrive
Clear the room as much as you can. Small items, pictures, curtains and anything on shelves should be packed up or moved to another room. Large furniture can stay; we move it to the center and cover it. Take down anything hanging on the walls and decide now whether the nail holes stay or go, since filled holes mean the picture goes back in a slightly different spot. Pets and kids are happier in another part of the house for the day.
Protecting what is not being painted
Floors get drop cloths, hardwood gets rosin paper or cloth rather than plastic, which is slippery. Outlet covers, switch plates, vent covers and door hardware come off instead of being taped around. Tape goes on trim, window glass and anywhere two colors meet. Good tape, pressed down firmly and pulled while the paint is still slightly soft, is what gives you a clean line.
Repairs, patching and sanding
This is where the time goes. Nail holes, dings and cracks get filled with spackle or joint compound, allowed to dry, and sanded flush. Larger damage, like a doorknob hole or a water stain, gets a proper drywall patch. Popped nail heads get reset and covered. Old glossy paint gets a light sanding so the new coat grips. Then the whole room is dusted or vacuumed, because paint over sanding dust peels.
Caulk and primer
Gaps between trim and wall, at the ceiling line and around window casings get a bead of paintable caulk. It is the single cheapest thing that makes a room look finished. Primer goes on patches, bare drywall and stains, and over the whole wall when you are going from a dark color to a light one or painting over a glossy or oil-based finish. Skipping primer is the most common reason a dark-to-light job needs a third coat.
Decisions to make before the first coat
Sheen matters as much as color. Flat hides imperfections but marks easily; eggshell or satin is the usual choice for living areas; semi-gloss for trim, doors, kitchens and baths. Test the color on two walls, one in daylight and one in shade, and look at it morning and evening before committing. Decide whether the ceiling and trim are being painted too. A fresh wall next to an old ceiling is the first thing people notice.
The painting itself
Ceiling first, then walls, then trim. Edges are cut in by brush, fields are rolled, and two finish coats go on with proper dry time between them. We work in good light and check the walls at an angle before calling a coat done. Then the tape comes off, hardware goes back on, furniture goes back where it was and the room is vacuumed.
Want it done right without giving up your weekends? Our interior painting crew handles everything from a single accent wall to a whole house, across Putnam, Westchester, Dutchess, Fairfield and Litchfield counties. See our interior painting page or request a free estimate.