Prepare to Paint

Satisfaction with a finished paint job depends on careful preparation. In fact, 90 percent of your work must be done at the beginning stages.
From the magazine, Remodeling Products Guide



Estimating Paint Needs
Paint is a good thing, but you can have too much of it. And the paint store will not take back extra gallons of that lovely orchid tint you selected. For a rough estimate of how much paint you'll need, measure the room's perimeter (in feet) and multiply that number by the wall height in feet. From this result, subtract 20 square feet for each door and 14 square feet for each window. Divide that number by the spreading rate listed on the paint can. That's the number of gallons you'll need.
There's an Einsteinian formula for calculating how much trim paint you'll need, but most painters just figure it will be one-fourth what is needed for the walls. The main thing to remember: If it's more than two quarts, get a gallon; it's always cheaper.


Getting the Room Ready
Move Everything to the Middle
It's amazing how many people try to paint with a room full of furniture in their way. Try this method instead:

· Remove everything you can; cluster everything else in the center of the room and cover it with plastic or canvas drop cloths.
· Use more canvas to cover the floor; spatters and spills collect on plastic and smear underfoot, and plastic is slippery, too.
· Take everything off the walls, including covers for electric receptacles and light switches. (While you're at it, write the color and amount of paint you are using for that room on a piece of masking tape and stick it to the inside of the switch for later reference.)
· Cover stationary light fixtures with plastic trash bags (as long as the lights won't be on while you paint).
· Loosen all door locks, and remove door hardware.
· Gently pull all nails and picture hooks. Fill the holes with premixed surfacing compound using a 3-inch putty knife, or fill with quality paintable caulk.

Tape Tips
Use masking or painter's tape to protect every place you don't want paint, such as doorknobs, any hardware you couldn't remove, and windows.
There are two schools of thought about painting window muntins -- those decorative moldings that separate panes of glass on some windows. Some people tape the glass next to window muntins to minimize the time spent scraping paint off the glass, but others say it's faster to let a little paint touch the panes and scrape it off later with a razor blade. It's your call.