Renovate Your Favorite Room with DIY Painting Essentials

A fresh coat of paint is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to breathe new life into an old room. With a few inexpensive tools and a bit of elbow grease, you can be well on your way to redecorating like the pros.

Canvas, Tarp and Tape

Prep is essential. If you can’t clear the room, move all the furniture into the center and cover it with a plastic tarp. Cover the floor with canvas to prevent drips, and cut electricity to the room before unscrewing outlet covers and ceiling fixtures. Carefully seal all door handles and hardware with plastic bags and tape.

Spackle and Primer Tools

Make sure you’re working with a smooth surface by removing any old wallpaper or scraping off old paint chips. Fill in any imperfections along the walls or trim with spackle or wood filler, then smooth over, sand and cover with primer.

Boxing Bucket

One gallon of paint covers about 400 square feet, but you obviously want to ensure consistency for bigger rooms. To do that, “box” your paints by mixing them in a five-gallon bucket before you begin. (Make sure there aren’t any cats in the bucket first.)

Brushes and Rollers

When you paint a room, you want to work from the top down, painting the ceiling first, and then hitting the walls and the trim once that is dry. Make sure your rollers extend to the ceiling, and avoid drips by working slowly. Small brushes are ideal for working around windows and door hardware, as well as detailing trim.

Protective Gear

Avoid irritating airborne nasties and errant blobs of paint flying into your eyes with protective goggles and filtration masks. Don’t forget to wear clothes that can take a beating, and be sure to have some rubber gloves on hand for good measure.

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