2. PREPARE
Get the room ready
Unless you want your couch to resemble a Jaskson Pollock painting, you should follow these simple pointers:
- 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.
- Cover the floor with additional tarps and newspapers.
- Take all mirrors and art off the walls.
- Remove light fixtures (if you're painting the ceiling).
- Remove all outlet and light switch covers.
Prep previously painted walls
When working with previously painted surfaces:
- Wash walls with a mild household cleanser to remove dirt, grease and any stains. Dirt can cause paint to adhere poorly.
- Rinse well to prevent soap residue from reacting to the new paint layer.
- Remove loose paint with sandpaper.
- Patch holes, dents and cracks by pressing spackle into them with a putty knife. Let dry and sand gently.
- Sand glossy or nonporous surfaces with sandpaper to help the paint adhere. Wipe off or vacuum off any resulting dust.
- 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
- 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.
- Patch holes, dents and cracks with spackle compound and let dry.
- Sand gently.
- Wash walls, rinse and dry.
- Apply primer.