It’s been years since you painted your living room, and it’s starting to show. What was once a rich, creamy off-white has now turned into a smudged, buttery yellow. You brought in a painter last time, but that’s not within your budget this time. You’re going to have to roll up your sleeves and tackle the walls yourself. Here are some tips to ensure you do as good of a job as the professional you hired last time.

Move everything out

Now is not the time to get lazy and try to paint the room with everything still in it. Even if you have the space to move everything to the center of the room, you will still have to work around it and run the risk of something getting splattered. Box up everything you can and move it to another room.

Cover up

Removing paint splatters from floors and baseboards is never easy, so save yourself the trouble and use drop cloths and painter’s tape. Cover the floors, baseboards, trim and anything else you don’t plan to paint. Tape the edges of the baseboards to the drop cloths on the floor for complete protection.

Gather the right supplies

Make a list of everything you will need and start gathering it. Check the quality of supplies and throw out any that have seen better days, in particular brushes and rollers. Good paint jobs require good brushes and rollers. If you aren’t good at cutting in, consider buying some of the new products available for making the task easier, like edging and corner brushes. Finally, make sure you have a sturdy ladder for those hard-to-reach places. Don’t try working from a pile of crates. You could fall and hurt yourself and make a big mess in the process.

Choose the right paint

If you plan to use the same paint as last time, you should have few problems. If you plan to use something else, you will need to do your homework. There are hundreds of paint colors available, and for the best results, you need to buy samples of the colors that appeal to you and test them on the wall. Paint large patches and look at them at various points throughout the day. Live with the shades for a while to determine the right color for you. Once you have a color in mind, you will need to choose the type and sheen of paint. Paint comes in two types: latex and oil-based. Latex is easy to work with and clean up, but not as durable as oil-based paint. Paint comes in many sheens. The glossier the sheen, the easier the paint will be to clean. If you have a lot of defects in the walls, you may want a duller finish to hide them.

Prep the surface

It’s not enough to tape everything off and toss some paint onto the wall. Paint will not stick to dirt, nor will it fill in holes and gouges. For good coverage, repair all defects and clean the walls. Then apply a primer. This will serve as a base and allow for fewer coats and more even coverage.

Paint well

Anyone can slap some paint onto a wall, but for it to look good, you have to take your time and do the job right. Work on one wall at a time and move from top to bottom, making large M’s and filling them in with horizontal strokes. Get an experienced friend to help. They can do the cutting in while you do the rolling, or vice versa. The job will go faster with another set of hands and someone to talk to. Apply as many coats as needed for good, even coverage.

Let the paint dry

There is nothing worse than scuffing up a good paint job because you got inpatient and moved in furniture before the walls were dry. When you finish the last coat, step away and give the paint plenty of time to dry. Leave it overnight, or longer if needed, and then move the furniture back in. Be careful as you bring each piece in and give the paint a few days to cure before hanging up any artwork on the walls.

Good paint jobs take work. Be prepared to put in the time and you will be pleased with the results.

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