I have a question for you, just how much time have you spent at the home store trying to figure out which, (if any) of the “handy dandy” polyurea accessories actually will save you time and money? I’ll bet you’ve even tried a couple of them and been discouraged.

This is number 3 in a series of 3 articles that I’ll explain honestly what has worked for me over the years and why it is well worth the small amount of extra time and money in order to have the finished product you truly want and deserve.

Another important factor is what is currently on the wall? How old is that paint, what sheen is (or was) that paint? Here in the dry southwest, paint won’t last as long. Meaning, the paint seems to “suck” into the surface making the new paint project require more coats. More on that in a minute.

So measure the room, length, width, and height. Now measure the doors and windows and subtract from the walls…not a math major? Fortunately you have a good option, search “wall paint calculator” and input the room measurements, doors windows etc. and the calculator will give you the number of gallons of paint you need for ONE coat.

If your room hasn’t been painted in quite sometime or if you are painting over a strong color, (think red or dark blue etc) you will need to prime the walls before painting. This step is necessary because if you skip this step, the walls will look streaky, and you possibly will need more than two coats.

Priming the walls first is also required if you are painting a deep color, ie: red or dark blue. If you don’t prime first the selected color will be lighter, think pink……

Most painting projects require 2 coats, so if the wall paint calculator says you need 2 and ½ gallons, add one gallon for the second coat. You’ll be glad you took the time and spent a bit more money, because the finished project will not only look better but will last a lot longer even here in the southwest.

If possible, empty the room. If not pull furniture 3 to 4 feet from the walls. If you are painting the ceiling, don’t pile everything in the center of the room till after the ceiling is painted. Cover all furnishings and flooring with drops.

Remove all switch plates and outlet covers. Dust the corners; (vacuum is better than rags) wash the walls with water and a detergent to remove any grease and or dirt. Fix any cracks, patch holes, sand and match texture.

As a general rule, I don’t tape. I will in selected circumstances, but generally speaking it wastes more time than is helps. When I started painting, an older gentleman I was working with encouraged me to learn how to paint cleanly without tape. So, over the years I’ve found it more beneficial to learn how to be very precise and wipe any “wiggles” as I go.

That said, taping is not a bad thing. If you don’t paint everyday, do take the time to tape. Use blue or green painters tape, and tape off baseboards, windows, door frames, any area where you need to cut in before you roll.

Here’s a Trick: Here in the southwest many walls have “bullnose” (rounded) edges instead of sharp corners, and often there is an orange peel texture. If you try to paint a straight line on this, you’ll make yourself crazy, with or without tape! A handy trick: tape the edge where you want the straight line. Now caulk the edge of the tape with a tiny bead and with a damp cloth wipe the caulk towards the tape. Paint, then remove the tape. Voila! A straight line on texture!