Are you thinking about painting your room, but aren’t sure where to get started?

When it comes to painting a room, the first thing you need to do is prep the area. If you don’t properly prep the area, you’ll be headed towards a painting disaster. 

How do you do this, exactly?

Check out this guide to discover how to prep a room for painting. 

1. Protect the Room 

The last thing you want is for some paint to splash and ruin your furniture. Here’s how you protect the room you’re painting in:

• Move heavy furniture to the center of the room and protect it with plastic cloths
• Place canvas drop cloths on the floor
• Remove cover plates from outlets and switches
• Protect switches with tape
• If a ceiling light or fan needs to be covered, shut off the circuit breakers and set up a work light
• Wrap hanging fixtures with plastic
• Cover door hardware with painter’s tape or plastic bags

By following these steps, you’ll ensure that everything in the room stays paint-free. 

2. Repair the Walls

If your walls have any damage to them, you’ll need to repair them before painting. 

If you have wallpaper, you’ll need to use a wallpaper scoring tool to remove it. After this, you’ll want to spray the paper with a wallpaper remover spray. Then, you can use a putty knife to scrape the wallpaper off. 

If your walls have paint flakes, you can scrape those off using a putty knife. 

Additionally, small holes can be patched by applying spackle with a putty knife. After the spackling dries, sand it over to even the surface out. Then, apply primer to the repaired area. 

3. Clean the Walls 

Before you begin painting your walls, you definitely want to take some time to clean them. Otherwise, dust mites and other debris may cling to your walls and cause the paint to appear discolored and uneven. 

Here’s what you need to do to clean your walls before painting:

• Vacuum dust on the moldings and baseboards
• Use a damp rag to wipe down the walls
• If your walls have oil or other types of residue on them, wash them with TSP (trisodium phosphate)
• Rinse with water and allow them to dry

4. Primer 

After you finish cleaning your walls, you may want to prime them. However, keep in mind that priming your walls isn’t always necessary. 

You should prime your walls if you have:

• Bare drywall
• Bare wood
• Stained or repaired areas
• Drastic color changes
• High-gloss finishes

If you don’t have any of these things, then priming isn’t necessary. 

How to Prep a Room for Painting: Wrap Up 

Now that you know how to prep a room for painting, it’s time to get started. 

If you don’t feel up to tackling all of this on your own, you may want to hire a painting contractor. Get in touch with us today if you’re looking to hire a contractor in the Denver area.