Don Vandervort, Head Homeboy, has written more than 30 DIY home improvement books, been a segment host on HGTV, served as MSN.com's home improvement expert and written countless magazine articles.
Painting in the right sequence is as important as painting with the right techniques.
With good preparation and a few tricks of the trade, painting interior walls is a simple process that can yield professional results. As important as clean, smooth walls is following a specific sequence. Here are the general rules to follow:
If you are not painting trim but rather staining or clear-finishing it, do so before painting the walls. Carefully mask all these surfaces only when you are sure they are completely dry.
Any surface that needs a base coat should be primed. Whether yours does will have to do not only with the surface itself but with the kind of paint you have chosen. Consult with your paint store about if you need a primer, and if so, what kind you need. Unlike painting, primer does not have to be as precise a job, but it must cover the surface thoroughly. Apply it to the ceiling first and then to the walls.
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Paint in the same order as you applied primer—ceiling first and then walls. Brush or roll from top to bottom. If the primer you chose was of good quality, you may need only one coat of paint. Consult with your paint store, and don’t forget to mention what color the walls were before you primed.
If you are painting rather than staining or finishing trim, do it after you have painted the walls. Go from top to bottom, such as ceiling moulding to chair rails to baseboards. You can paint window and door trim either before or after you paint the baseboards, though before is better if you are painting the whole room as a single project.
