How to Prepare a Room for Painting

The key to a successful paint project is making sure you prepare the walls before the paint goes on. It’s the most important step to a smooth and durable finish.

In this video I’m going to show you how to prepare your interior walls for great results. First, we’ll mask off the floor and trim. I’ll show you how to properly clean the surface. Then we’ll take some time to caulk and fill nail holes. So let’s get started.

To protect the floor, we’ll start by spreading a large canvas drop cloth over the floor. Make sure the edge is tucked up to the baseboard as tight as possible. Use a separate drop cloth under paint cans, paint trays and things like ladders and lights.

If the space isn’t well lit you may want to bring in additional lighting, such as this halogen work light. A well lit room will help you see the work area much better.

Next, take off any outlet or light switch covers and place them somewhere out of the way.

Now we’re ready to mix up our cleaning solution to wash the walls. I use a mixture of water and tri-sodium phosphate (TSP), which is good at removing surface dirt and grime.

The trick here is not to get the wall too wet, so wring out your sponge thoroughly before washing the wall. And be careful not to let any water drip into electrical outlets or wall switches. Have a rag handy to wipe away drips. Then repeat the process using clean water.

When the wall is completely dry, it’s time to remove any nails and fill any nail holes or blemishes with spackling or drywall joint compound. When the spackling is dry, sand your repairs. You might have to repeat this process a couple of times. To learn how to repair holes in drywall, see our video Repairing Drywall for more information.

Now it’s time to give the entire wall a light sanding. This step ensures a smooth finish, and is usually the what separates an average looking paint job from a professional looking finish. Remove the dust with a tack cloth.

Next we’ll caulk any gaps between the wall and trim, such as around baseboards and door and winding casings with an acrylic latex painter’s caulk. To smooth it out, lightly run your finger along the bead and wipe away any excess.

You can also use a damp towel wrapped around your 5-in-1 tool to remove excess caulk in tight places.

For tips on proper caulking techniques, see our list of Frequently Asked Questions related to this video.

Next, comes masking. How much you mask will largely depend on how steady you can cut in straight edges with your brush. You should always mask any horizontal areas that could catch falling paint drips or roller spatter, like the top of baseboard and window and door casing.

For vertical areas, however, you can either choose to mask or to go without masking. To learn the proper technique on cutting in trim, be sure to watch our video, Interior Wall Painting Basics.

The key to masking in a straight line is to work with small runs of tape, no longer than 18-inches or so. Start at the corners and work your way across.

We’re almost there. Now it’s time to spot prime any areas where you repaired hole in the wall or any heavily stained or trouble areas. It’s always a good idea to tint your primer to the final color of your paint.

That should just about do it. Now it’s time to prime and paint. Just remember, the time you spend preparing the room is some of the best time you can spend to ensure a smooth finish in the end. If you have questions about this or any other home improvement project, be sure to read our list of Frequently Asked Questions for this video. And be sure to print out our Project Instructions, which includes a Tools and Materials checklist, before visiting your local independent home improvement retailer. That’s where you’ll find all the products and helpful advice to complete your project. If you’re not sure where to find your local store, check out our Store Locator. Good luck with your project and thanks for watching.

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