Prep your surface.
Paint doesn’t stick to dirt or cobwebs. Wash down walls, especially corners, before painting. Scrape off any paint that is flaking or peeling.
Prime your surface.
Especially if you are planning on lightening up a room by painting over a dark shade, you need to prime the surface. This will keep the paint from streaking and increase your paint coverage.
Tint the primer.
Mixing a little bit of the topcoat paint with the primer will increase the topcoat’s ability to cover the existing color.
Set yourself up for easy clean up.
Take off switch and outlet covers and drape canvas or plastic over your floors and furniture. Use painter’s tape around windows, doorframes, and baseboards. You may also try taping plastic sandwich bags over door knobs.
Use an extension pole.
Screw-in extension poles eliminate the work of dragging a ladder around the room, going up and getting down for more paint. The best extension poles have a metal core and easy-grip surface.
Don’t re-touch tacky paint.
Even if it looks dry, your paint may be tacky. Going over these areas with a brush or roller increases the chances of streaking. If you need to touch up, wait until the paint is completely dry (most paints recommend 4 hours).
Keep records.
Record the brand, color name, and date of the paint you used for each room. This will make finding matching paint for touch-ups easier.
