Interior House Painting

Tips and information on all paint related items

Wrong!

Once you see an older house in decline that's up for sale, you'll see what I mean when I say that there's a lot more "to it" than just rolling a few walls and doing a little touch-up on the woodwork.

(I've known people that do this type of stuff and they wonder why their houses take longer to sell!)

Remember, you want to project an image of professional workmanship to the potential buyer with each part of the house flip process. Certainly, house painting plays a major part in this image-building process..

It takes a lot of work to make a house look beautiful, and house painting is one of the basic things you need to do, and do right. Now you don't have to have the experience and technical know-how of a professional painter to do a job correctly. That's why the following information regarding interior house painting is so important.

This information is divided into two sections, each separated to accentuate their relative importance to the overall process. In other words ... Because it's so wordy, I decided to break it a little bit or you might fall asleep reading it.

Section 1. - Preparation

You cannot have a professional looking paint job without proper prep work. The information provided is somewhat unique in that it is given from a house flipping point of view.

You know, where the interior of the house has dust and dirt over the woodwork, and the walls look like they've taken a beating at the hands of some rambunctious kids. That point of view.

Now, I know not every paint job in every flip you do will be as bad as I'm making it out to be, but at least you'll have the information handy to tackle any knid of prep work in any house.

For more detailed information, please go to the first section entitled "Paint Preparation".

See also, information on basic caulking procedures.

Section 2. - Painting Procedures

This information deals with the correct way to perform the basics of painting procedures. Information is given for properly painting any type of ceiling, wall, or woodwork throughout the house.

For more detailed information, please go to the second section entitled "Painting Procedures".

The following interior paint-related FAQs may help you define the house painting process a little more as they relate to particular application questions you may have:

Question: What type of paint do I use on the walls in the bathrooms?

Answer: I always recommend using an oil-based satin or semi-gloss on the bathroom walls and woodwork. You may want to consider using an oil-based paint because of the overall warm, rich look it has to it after it's applied, and that it's durable and easy to maintain.


Question: Why should I use a flat sheen on the walls and ceilings??

Answer: Because a flat sheen is better at "hiding" defects that could exist in finished drywall and plaster. "Shinier" finishes such as satin and semi gloss would greatly accentuate said blemishes.


Question: Do I need to prime new drywall before applying a finish coat?

Answer Yes. A good primer used in conjunction with a high-quality finish paint will ensure a nice, professional result. Priming will help seal surface of the new drywall, which in turn provides a solid base that allows the finish coat to properly adhere firmly to the surface. Use for all wood and trimwork applications as well.


Question: Is painting the kitchen cabinets a good idea?

Answer It is a good idea if the cabinets are in pretty good overall condition. If you have to basically rebuid part of the cabinets, you're probably better off just replacing them. Remember - you're not only trying to save money - but time as well.

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