2. PREPARE

Get the room ready

Unless you want your couch to resemble a Jaskson Pollock painting, you should follow these simple pointers:

  1. Remove all furniture out of the room, if possible. If not, pull all furniture away from the walls toward the center of the room and cover everything with a plastic or canvas tarp. Make sure that none of the furniture (not even the legs) are showing.

  2. Cover the floor with additional tarps and newspapers.

  3. Take all mirrors and art off the walls.

  4. Remove light fixtures (if you're painting the ceiling).

  5. Remove all outlet and light switch covers.

Prep previously painted walls

When working with previously painted surfaces:

  1. Wash walls with a mild household cleanser to remove dirt, grease and any stains. Dirt can cause paint to adhere poorly.

  2. Rinse well to prevent soap residue from reacting to the new paint layer.

  3. Remove loose paint with sandpaper.

  4. Patch holes, dents and cracks by pressing spackle into them with a putty knife. Let dry and sand gently.

  5. Sand glossy or nonporous surfaces with sandpaper to help the paint adhere. Wipe off or vacuum off any resulting dust.

  6. Apply primer. Primer is the first coat used to seal the wall and to create a nonporous surface for the topcoat to adhere to. You can also tint the primer to resemble the final color you will be applying by adding a small amount of your chosen shade into the primer can.

Prep previously wallpapered walls

  1. Remove all wallpaper before painting. This can be a trying experience to say the least. We recommend steaming the wallpaper off the walls with a professional steamer. If that's not an option, prepare to do a lot of scraping.

  2. Patch holes, dents and cracks with spackle compound and let dry.

  3. Sand gently.

  4. Wash walls, rinse and dry.

  5. Apply primer.