Design Vogue

While painting a room isn’t necessarily a difficult DIY job, it’s not always easy—how many coats does one wall need again?

There are a few critical ways to prepare before you get started on your paint project, as well as some things that you should consider as you go. If you’re planning to tackle any of your rooms with a paintbrush this year, it’s a good idea to make sure you’re approaching it strategically.

With this in mind, we turned to an expert for some guidance and advice. 

Safety First

According to Ryan Beery of Color World Painting, the first thing you should do to prep for a paint project is to assess any safety requirements specific to your home. 

If your house was built before 1978, be leery of lead paint. Beery strongly advises that you purchase a lead test kit and educate yourself about lead safety—the EPA website is a valuable resource for this information.

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Assemble Your Supplies

Preparing for a DIY job is a lot like preparing to cook a meal. You need to make sure you have everything you need on hand and ready to go so that once you open up that paint can, you don’t have to stop in the middle and run to the store. 

Luckily, Beery shared his list of essential supplies.

• Painters tape
• Tarps for exterior projects
• Rosin paper for protecting interior floors, especially tile and hardwood
• A delicate surface tape to protect any varnished surfaces
• High-quality paint brushes 

You also may need sanding sponges and joint compound depending on the scale of the project, Beery says. 

Prepare Your Surfaces

Painting pros know that slapping on a coat of paint isn’t as easy as it seems. As Beery points out, you need to ready your surface first to ensure the paint adheres to whatever it is you’re painting, be it a wall or cabinet. 

“Make sure your surfaces are clean, dry, and dull,” he says. 

How you prepare might depend on what material you’re facing. For example, exterior surfaces should be power-washed with a specific product made for oxidation, while anywhere with grease on the walls or ceiling should be washed with a degreasing cleaner. Then, they might need to be shellacked or bonded. 

If you’re working with a more specific surface, like something glossy or with a high sheen, Beery suggests sanding with an abrasive pad or a pole sander, depending on the situation. These steps will all help with adhesion once you’re finally ready to paint. 

Use This Painters Tape Hack

You probably already know the importance of using masking or painter's tape to mark off any edges or areas you want to avoid covering, but Beery gave us a great pro hack to keep your lines clean.

“Use a damp sponge on tape lines to help adhere the tape and prevent paint from getting under the edge, leaving a clean line when the tape is removed,” he says.

Similarly, any seals lining both garage doors and entry doors can cause a similar problem. In this case, Beery suggests using petroleum jelly to prevent the seals from adhering to the fresh paint.

Don’t Skimp on Quality

Of course, there are plenty of budget-friendly paint options out there—but Beery says you should proceed with caution when it comes to choosing the right brand.

Using a high-quality paint, like PPG or Glidden, is crucial, he explains.

“Quality products provide better coverage, saving time and money by reducing the need for an additional coat—especially when you are making a color change," he says.

Don’t Rush That Second Coat

Beery says there are a lot of contributing factors when it comes to deciding on the best time to apply your next coat—temperature and product being two of them. 

“On average, about four hours is recommended,” he says. 

If you rush to apply a new coat too soon, Beery warns it can pull on the previous coat and leave brush marks or unwanted texture. 

“This can also affect how the paint covers the previous color and can potentially create the need for an additional coat,” he says.