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windchymes -> RE: Calling all DIY Bitches (6/10/2010 2:32:45 PM)
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divi, dahling, you don' need no steenking painter!!! You can do this, it's easy!
Lowe's or the Depot have starter paint kits that have the tray, a roller handle, rollers, paintbrushes and maybe a paint can opener and stir sticks (which, btw, make great stingy paddles for the butt, heh) for about $10. Get one!
Get some of that blue painter's tape and tape the edges along the ceiling, baseboards, windows and any place else you don't want to smudge paint on. Plastic drop cloths for the floor are very cheap, get some of those, too, and tape them to the baseboards or edge of the floor. Any plastic deli-type containers are good if you want to pour a little paint in a smaller container to hold in your hand while you paint. If you have a helper, one of you can do "the trim", which means all those outer parameters and edges that you just taped beside, and the other can do the roller.
Just dip maybe 1/2" of your brush into the paint, which you have shaken while the lid is VERY SECURE and then stirred with one of the wooden stir sticks. Gently blot the excess paint from one edge of the brush, then start painting along the tape.
If you're ready to roller, pour maybe an inch to inch and a half of paint in the tray. You can wipe the little drip from the side of the can with a paintbrush or the roller that you're going to use. Roll the fuzzy roller across the washboardy ridges of the tray and let it dip slightly into the paint, then roll it backwards and forwards across the ridges. Do this a few times until the roller is "loaded" with paint, but not dripping off the roller and all over the place. Start rolling on the walls. Some say make a "w" pattern, others say just get it up there! Two or three thin coats are better than one thick one, because if you apply it too heavily, it will start run in spots before it dries.
I personally recommend Behr Premium paint, which has primer mixed in with it. It costs a little more, but is worth every penny. I painted my kitchen deep red with it, and it covered gold paint with one coat plus some touch-ups. The Olympus paint I used once sucked royally, six coats and still not covered completely. I'll never buy that again.
Remember, you don't have to be perfect, make sure you buy latex paint, because it dries pretty quickly and cleans up easily with water. Any mistakes or goofs you make can be corrected by painting over when the first paint dries. Oh, and it's worth it to buy one of those long handles for the roller, it goes even faster, and you don't have to climb up and down a ladder the whole time. You'll be amazed at how fast it actually goes. The trim is tedious....once again, if you have a helper for that, it's worth the beer and pizza.
Once again....Behr Premium! Good luck!!!
back to add: hlen had some good points about flaws like nail holes in the walls. Really small holes can be filled up with some plain white toothpaste (like Pepsodent!) with the tip of your finger. For any bigger holes or any thing that might need patching, my favorite, "spackle", also known as joint compound can be applied with a trowel-type tool that has a long, flat edge. After it's dry (couple of hours), you might need to sand it with fine-grain sandpaper so it's smooth and blends in with the wall surface. Easy peasy!
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