1. Give yourself plenty of room to work. Move furniture. Cover everything with drop cloths. Remove switchplates, fixtures, etc.
2. Before starting to prime or paint, open a window to admit fresh air and provide adequate ventilation. When using oil-based paint, read the special precautions on the label.
3. Add tint to primer to improve final coverage matching as closely as possible the color of your topcoat. (Hirshfieldís will tint your primer on request.)
4 Fill all cracks, nail holes, and damaged areas with spackling compound. If holes are large, spackle in several steps. Sand patched areas smooth.
5. If surface to be painted is glossy, sand to a flat finish.
6. Wipe patched and sanded areas with tack cloth and prime before applying finish coat.
7. Be sure the paint you buy is of a high quality. For ceilings, we recommend Hirshfieldís Ceiling White. For walls, we recommend Hirshfieldís Wash & Wear II, Top Scrub II or Satinglo II. Ask a Hirshfieldís paint expert which product would be most appropriate for your particular needs.
8. Apply masking tape to protect all surfaces adjacent to the surface youíre painting, i.e. along molding, around doors and windows, etc.
9. Paint ceiling first, then walls. Depending on the color youíre covering over and the porosity of the surface, you may need to apply more than 1 coat.
10. If necessary, before you paint, use a strain killer to seal water stains and smoke damaged areas. Stain killers also may be used to seal crayon marks and magic marker stains.
11. When painting ceilings, apply paint generously with a paint roller, working across the ceiling at its narrowest dimension in a 2-to-3 foot strip. Keep a wet edge to avoid lap marks. Let dry thoroughly. Apply second coat, if necessary.
12. Before rolling walls and ceilings use an angled sash brush to paint a 3-inch wide strip where ceiling and walls meet and around the woodwork, along sashes, and any other place rollers wonít reach. This edging or ìcutting inî should be done only a few feet ahead of the rolling process to maintain a wet edge and to avoid unsightly lap marks.
13. Use the shortest nap roller cover for the surface involved. For smooth walls, a 1/4î or 3/8î nap cover works best. Textured ceilings and walls will require a thick nap.
14. If you start running low on paint, finish the wall to a corner and get additional paint. Avoid stopping in the middle of a wall.
15. Stir your paint thoroughly and be sure to intermix cans of paint. Color may vary slightly from can to can.
16. If possible, allow overnight drying time for each coat of latex ceiling or wall paint.
17. When paint job is complete, remove masking tape and touch up wherever necessary. Do not leave masking tape on overnight.
18. If you are in doubt about any portion of the job, ask directions from the paint experts at Hirshfieldís. Theyíll give you all the right information so youíll end up with a paint job youíll be proud of for years to come.