Painting for the Novice DIY-er: Part Two

I am exhausted. Prepping a room for painting is definitely not fun, but I really am excited to see the final product. Today I am going to share with you the steps I took to prepare my walls for new paint. This part of the project is definitely worse than painting as I mentioned in my last post.

How to Prepare Your Walls for Fresh Paint

1. Move all furniture to the center of the room. You'll need a good two and a half feet around the room in order to move around and paint comfortably.

2. Remove any wallpaper or wallpaper border. The easiest way to do this is to mix a cup of hot water and a cup of fabric softener in a spray bottle and spray it on the wallpaper then let it sit for about 15 minutes. The wallpaper should peel right up after that and come off in no time.

3. Wash your walls. A simple homemade recipe for a wall wash is one part white vinegar and one part hot water. Pour it in a bucket and use a sponge to wipe over the walls, making sure to get rid of any grease or dirt marks that you may find.

4. Cover up any holes you may find with caulk. If the holes are large enough, fill them in with caulk then even out with a putty knife. This took me forever because I had a million little push pin holes to fill. After your caulk is dry (my bottle said thirty minutes. but I waited an hour) sand them down with sandpaper so they are just as smooth as the wall.

5. Remove all socket and light switch covers. Make sure to put them in a Ziploc bag so you do not lose any screws.

6. Use blue painters tape to cover door and window frames and baseboards. This is a tedious process, but once you get the hang of it, it gets better.

My next step from here is to prime my walls with primer and start painting once that dries completely. I hope to finish painting now by Monday and have everything back and ready for a room reveal by the middle of this week!

xo,