A new coat of paint is the number one step you can take to update your room on a budget. Choose the right paint and you can change your "ugly duckling" into a swan in just a few hours.
If you have decided to paint this weekend, start by preparing your room. Preparation starts with a few simple steps. First, be very nice to your friends and neighbors because the first step will have you begging for help.
- Remove your furniture and accessories from the room. If you have room, pile the heavier furniture in the middle of the room away from the walls.
- Tape around moldings, doors and windows with removable painter's tape. Masking tape sometimes gets a bit sticky and hard to remove, so I recommend the painter's tape to save time.
- Cover the floor and the furniture with plastic drop cloths. They have plastic drop cloths cheap at the discount or dollar store, so pick up some extras.
- Remove any nail and screws in the walls. Fill the holes left behind with spackle. Let dry and sand smooth.
- Scrape or sand any loose or peeling paint until the walls are smooth.
- Using TSP (Trisodium phosphate), wash down all the walls. You are removing all the grease, grime and grit. Then wash down again with water to remove the TSP. Allow the walls to dry completely.
Ok...this next step is why you want to paint during daylight - Turn off all the power. Remove electrical outlet covers - be sure to gather the screws together so they won't get lost. You should also cover items such as doorbells, smoke detectors and vents. Cover the wires in the outlet boxes with masking tape.
Now you're ready to tackle painting the room. Just keep say to yourself over and over,"I am saving money, I am saving money, I am saving money!"
- Don't neglect this step and go straight to the paint. Your paint job will not look professional.
- If you have an old house, you may have lead paint. For information about lead paint, visit www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PUBS/5054.html
- Drop cloths
- Painter's tape
- Sandpaper
- Paint Scraper
- Spackling Compound
- Putty Knife
- TSP
