An Eight-Step Guide to Preparing Your Home's Interior for Paint

The kitchen is your go-to gathering spot, the living room is your favorite place to kick back with a small group of family and friends, and your bedroom is where you go to find serenity after a long day's work. Needless to say, your home's many chambers all have meaning and purpose, which is why you want to make these spaces not only comfortable, but eye-catching with some décor. While furniture is crucial, paint can serve as the ultimate finishing touch and draw warmth into a space. This makes painting any part of your home, whether its touchup or a complete overhaul, an investment worth making. It's a big task—and while actually painting everything from walls to ceilings might seem like the main event, the prep work you put into your project should be your primary focus.

Plan to devote a full day to protecting floors and furnishings; patching holes, fissures, and gaps; prepping walls (cleaning and taping them off); and, finally, priming. Do keep in mind that prepping your room calls for a little bit of movement on your part. "Start by moving all items out of the way; large furniture can be placed in the center of the room and covered," Matt Kunz, the president of Five Star Painting, a Neighborly company, says. "We recommend putting plastic over furniture and canvas drop cloths on the floor." If you're also planning on painting the ceilings, it's best to check for any water damage and dust in corners—and also be sure to remove rods, blinds, or curtains if window frames and sills could also use a fresh coat.

Once you nail down all of these tasks, you'll be able to start layering on color in no time. Ahead, find out every necessary step in the paint preparation process.

Safeguard Belongings

Remove small objects from the room; gather large ones in the center and cover with a plastic drop cloth. Unscrew switch and outlet face plates. Lay masking paper over floors and tape as shown below. Protect carpeting with canvas drop cloths.

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Fill Holes

With a flexible putty knife, apply spackling paste to nail holes in the wall and wood filler to small cavities in trim (overfill slightly, as compounds will shrink). Let it dry completely, then sand using a medium-grit paper on the walls and a coarse-grit one on the wood.

Repair Cracks

Cover crevices in the wall with self-adhesive fiberglass-mesh joint tape. Apply a thin layer of joint compound over the tape with a flexible taping or joint knife; work quickly to smooth before the paste dries. Lightly sand with a fine-grit paper.

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Make Sure to Add Caulk

To fill cracks between the baseboard—or any trim—and the wall, apply latex caulk (which can be painted) with a caulking gun, following the manufacturer's instructions.

Smooth Caulk

Immediately after applying caulk, use a damp sponge to even it out and wipe off excess. (It is impossible to do this after caulk dries.)

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Clean and Prime

Vacuum the room and wash walls with a sponge and warm water. Tape off the ceiling, then prime the walls. If you'll be covering a light-colored wall with dark paint, use a gray primer, or have one custom-mixed to match your paint shade.

Prepare Windows

Line the perimeter of each pane with painters' tape, leaving 1/16 inch between the edge of the tape and the muntins. (When painted, this will create a seal that prevents moisture from getting in and rotting the wood.) Remove locks and other hardware, and clean the wood with a tack cloth.

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Compile Supplies

Keep these items in your paint cleaning arsenal: liquid dish soap for washing brushes, a brush comb for removing persistent particles, sponges and rags for wiping surfaces, and a razor blade for scraping windows.