How to Paint a Room Without Mess
Painting a room by yourself can be a messy job. You're just one spill away from ruining your floor, damaging a rug, or painting yourself. However, if you do it right, you can save money and do the job on your timeline.
At Outpak, we have the solution to make painting a room cleaner and faster, whether you're a DIY homeowner or a professional. Our Outpak Paint Station can make a difference in your next home painting project.
Here's a quick guide on cleanly painting the room of your choice.
Materials Needed to Paint a Room
- Your choice of paint.
- Loose clothes that you don't mind getting messy.
- A roll of butcher block paper
- Paint roller with a pole extension for the walls and a selection of roller covers.
- Paint tray
- A paintbrush for painting corners
- Frog Tape
- Pelican Handheld Paint Bucket
- A step ladder with a paint tray.
- An Outpak Paint Station to ensure everything has its place.
Prep the Room
Remove all the furniture in your room, take down any pictures, remove any nails, and remove any light and electrical covers. Cover any switches or electrical outlets with blue tape to protect them. If you're not going to rehang your pictures, patch and sand any picture holes.
Did you say "remove furniture"? Yes, if you can, clear the room before painting. Painting with furniture is more complex, especially in a small room. You're more liable to step on wet paint or rub against a wall wet with paint. You also may be unable to use pole extensions or other tools that make painting faster and easier.
Set Up for Painting
Under your baseboard, lay down a sheet of butcher block paper the length of your floor. Butcher block paper generally extends two feet, protecting the floor from overspray or paint spills.
Then, open your Outpak Paint Station and lay out your painting equipment so anything that might have paint stays in the Outpak Paint Station. Ensure the Paint Station opening is over the butcher block paper and tucked under your baseboard.
Frame Your Walls and Protect Outlets
Using a chiseled paintbrush, paint all the edges in your room. Also, paint a border around any outlets so you're not using a roller close to your outlets. Rollers are messy and inaccurate for close-in work, so framing your wall makes for a better job.
We love Frog Tape for tight lines that look good. Paint doesn't tend to leak underneath Frog Tape, so your paint job looks more professional. We strongly suggest applying Frog Tape around your door frame and over your baseboard. This protects your trim from the paint cut in and from any overspray during painting.
However, if you have textured ceilings that you're trying not to overpaint, you may need a steady hand. For expert advice, we suggest this video from our friends at The Idaho Painter.
Keeping Things Clean
Always keep your paint in something like a Pelican Handheld Paint Bucket when hand painting. For $11, it will safely hold a half-quart of paint and secure your brush so you don't drip paint while moving from your paint can to your surface. You can also buy plastic liners to make cleanup a breeze.
It would help if you also scooched your Outpak Paint Station so all your supplies are within a few feet of your painting surface. Access equals cleanliness.
As you finish painting, always put any equipment back in the Paint Station. Keep equipment off other surfaces, like on a ladder or step stool, where paint can drip or where your tool can fall on the floor. The Outpak Paint Station has a wax coating to resist wet paint, making it an ideal surface for paint brushes coated in wet paint.
Painting Interior Walls
Rollers are the best tool for painting inside. They can transfer a lot of paint quickly in just a few strokes. However, rollers can easily overspray if you have too big of a nap on your roller cover. Choose your nap carefully based on the texture of your wall. Benjamin Moore has an excellent guide for choosing your roller nap.
Lay your paint tray inside your Outpak Paint Station and pour about half a quart of paint into it. Don't overfill your tray; you might slosh the excess paint out.
With a roller cover attached, coat your roller by running it into the paint tray. You want the paint to cover the roller without coating it so much that you get drips.
Then, be mindful of keeping your roller over your butcher block paper, and slowly and firmly move the roller in a crisscross motion across the wall. Apply the paint so it's even on the wall, and use a slow, firm motion on the roller. The faster you move the roller, the higher the chance of spraying paint droplets onto the ceiling or floor.
Let the Paint Dry Between Coats
Once you finish painting, give the coat of paint at least an hour or two to dry. Letting the paint dry between coats enables you to see the thin spots in your paint. It also helps for better adhesion when you apply the next coat.
Use your drying time to look for drips or areas where you have too much paint. Use your roller to thin those areas and move the paint across a broader patch on your wall.
While waiting for your paint to dry, cover your brush and roller with a plastic bag. The notches on the Outpak Paint Station will support the handles while the paint side is contained in the Paint Station. This will keep your tools organized and prevent anyone from knocking over a wet paintbrush onto the floor.
Once the wall is dry, apply additional coats as needed.
The Outpak Paint Station Makes the Job Cleaner
Once you've finished painting, wash your brush and roller cover, carefully pull your butcher block paper away, and reapply any wall coverings and outlet plates. Unless your butcher block paper is coated in paint, roll it up for the next project or recycle it.
Using the Outpak Paint Station means you shouldn't have to clean up any paint damage to your floor or rug. With paint contained in one container, painting using the Paint Station should be faster, more organized, and cleaner.
Consider using Outpak's Paint Station for your next paint project. They're reusable and can help keep your work area clean for many future projects.