Painting, wallpapering, etc

[warpus]

When painting a room, do you first paint the ceiling, then the walls, then the trim around the doors and windows and the baseboards? Or do you first paint the ceiling, then the trim + baseboards, and then the walls? What is the best order to do this in that a professional would follow? What will make my life the easiest?

Also, if you have a closet that's a part of the room (i.e. built into the wall, but not a walk-in closet in my bedroom), is the standard to paint the inside white or the same colour as the room or some other colour? Does it depend on anything else? What's the most common approach and what's recommended? Do I use the same type of paint, even if the colour is different? Obviously it depends to some degree on my own personal sensibilities, but I'm a visual person and am having a hard time visualizing the scenarios so I can compare them, before I paint. The internet is giving me conflicting answers. If the go-to is to paint it white, can I use the same paint as I will be using to paint the ceilings with? The internet tells me that I need special paint for the ceilings, and it seems a bunch of it will be left after I'm done (the rooms aren't large)

Moderator Action: Moved to a separate thread from the very-many-questions thread. The_J

 

[Birdjaguar]

When painting a room, do you first paint the ceiling, then the walls, then the trim around the doors and windows and the baseboards? Or do you first paint the ceiling, then the trim + baseboards, and then the walls? What is the best order to do this in that a professional would follow? What will make my life the easiest?

Also, if you have a closet that's a part of the room (i.e. built into the wall, but not a walk-in closet in my bedroom), is the standard to paint the inside white or the same colour as the room or some other colour? Does it depend on anything else? What's the most common approach and what's recommended? Do I use the same type of paint, even if the colour is different? Obviously it depends to some degree on my own personal sensibilities, but I'm a visual person and am having a hard time visualizing the scenarios so I can compare them, before I paint. The internet is giving me conflicting answers. If the go-to is to paint it white, can I use the same paint as I will be using to paint the ceilings with? The internet tells me that I need special paint for the ceilings, and it seems a bunch of it will be left after I'm done (the rooms aren't large)

Ceiling first, walls next and trim last. If the inside of the closet is white (or light colored) it can be easier to find stuff if the there is not much electric or natural light. The type of paint used in a closet makes no difference, except it need not (should not) be the glossy kind usually used on trim. Ceilings and walls can be painted with the same paint if the colors are the same. If the ceiling is a textured paint, you would not use that on the walls. A white ceiling will likely lighten the room where a dark ceiling will do the opposite. Sometimes folks like to have one wall in a room be some contrasting color to the rest.

 

[warpus]

Ceiling first, walls next and trim last. If the inside of the closet is white (or light colored) it can be easier to find stuff if the there is not much electric or natural light. The type of paint used in a closet makes no difference, except it need not (should not) be the glossy kind usually used on trim. Ceilings and walls can be painted with the same paint if the colors are the same. If the ceiling is a textured paint, you would not use that on the walls. A white ceiling will likely lighten the room where a dark ceiling will do the opposite. Sometimes folks like to have one wall in a room be some contrasting color to the rest.

I thought of painting accent walls, but am opting against it. The ceiling is textured, so I think I need a special paint for that (correct?). Thanks for the tips!

 

[Birdjaguar]

I thought of painting accent walls, but am opting against it. The ceiling is textured, so I think I need a special paint for that (correct?). Thanks for the tips!

If the ceiling is already textured, then you can just paint over it with regular paint and the texture will remain. You can brush paint your ceiling or if you have a compressor, spray paint it. Roll your walls (and ceiling too) and use a brush on your trim and baseboards (if you use gloss paint on them). If you use a roller on your ceiling, you might need a "thicker" roller to get coverage. for the walls a "thinner" one will work.

 

[warpus]

Hmm so I can use a regular paint if I'm painting the ceiling with a brush and not a roller? I can't decide if that would simplify things for me or not. I bought a roller with an extension rod attached to it, so that I can paint the ceiling using that approach. I am not sure how easy it will be to paint the ceiling with a brush instead - will it be easy for me to get an even spread of paint, if you know what I mean? The roller seems to be good for spreading paint evenly, but it seems way easier to to get an uneven spread of paint when using a brush (if you are an inexperienced painter like me). Maybe I need a larger paintbrush for this? I only bought paintbrushes for tight spots, corners, detailing, trims, baseboards, etc. so I don't have a larger brush, the largest one I have is sort of medium sized.

Should we take this conversation to the DIY thread? (If that's still around). I think I am basically set, but these last sort of details still escape me. I am buying the paint tomorrow I think

 

[Birdjaguar]

Hmm so I can use a regular paint if I'm painting the ceiling with a brush and not a roller?

No. You can use the same paint with a brush and a roller. A roller is faster and easier for walls and ceilings but a textured ceiling might require a thicker roller nap than the walls. A smaller nap might be better for walls.

 

[warpus]

Is a 3/8" nap not good enough for a textured ceiling? Does it depend on the type of texture? (I am pretty sure it's orange peel)

 

[Birdjaguar]

Is a 3/8" nap not good enough for a textured ceiling? Does it depend on the type of texture? (I am pretty sure it's orange peel)

It might work just fine. The roughness of the ceiling is the key. If the nap is a bit short, it just might mean a few extra strokes or more pressure to get coverage. Buying one roller cover with a longer nap would be pretty cheap though.

 

[Birdjaguar]

Need to run an errand. Back in a bit.

 

[warpus]

Thanks for all the help, you've been a lifesaver. The internet has all these answers, but unless you know exactly what you are looking for, it can be a hassle to find.

Are you saying that rollers have a sort of universal standard size and design? I should be able to buy any roller with a larger nap and it should attach to my existing roller setup just fine? I did not assume this initially

 

[Gori the Grey]

I think there may be two size rollers: standard and extra long. But if you have a standard roller, then a sleeve of any nap will fit it.

So yes, pretty much. They're universal.

 

[warpus]

Awesome, I love standards. Thanks Gori & BirdJaguar! Painting isn't complicated you'd think, but if I have never done something I always manage to mess it up. Give me a couple life experiences with something and I will excel at it.. but if it's my first time doing something, I will really suck at it, and just be lost for no reason.

 

[Core Imposter]

A tip on painting textured ceilings. Keep the roller wet and don't scrub the ceiling. Sometimes, depending on the way the texture was mixed and applied, the texture might begin to peel off and you will have a mess.

There was a time when people started to mix some paint to the texture before spraying it which provided a good bond. If it was sprayed on without any paint in it, you could just scrape it right off. Fast drying paint gets sticky and can pull the texture right off. The biggest mistake people make with a roller is just rolling it over and over and thinking that they need to even out the paint. All you need to do is keep moving so that you are always working on a wet edge. Better to use more paint and put it on heavily. Never ever spy a spot you missed where the paint is half dry and try to touch it up because it will be sticky and if the texture has a poor bond you'll risk pulling stuff out and it's awfully hard to fix it and make it look right without reapplying texture to the whole ceiling. So if you miss a spot you have to wait till it's all dry and touch it up then.

If the texture was made by using drywall mud it will be solid. Those were usually made by using a brush in a spiral pattern, but some people got artistic. But most textured ceiling are what we call popcorn ceilings.

Hopefully you won't run into poorly bonded texture.

Also, be sure to have everything covered and room to move cause you need to start the ceiling and finish without stopping. Don't paint in circles. Run one wet edge across the whole ceiling. Pretend the surface is an egg shell and keep the roller wet.

If you have crown molding that you might not intend to paint, say it's natural finish and all you intend is maybe to put on another coat of varnish- trim around the entire room with a brush first. The trick in trimming is to leave a small space, maybe an eighth of an inch unpainted. This keeps you from- oops I got paint on the trim- and that eighth of an inch is invisible from the floor.

 

[Cutlass]

When painting a room, do you first paint the ceiling, then the walls, then the trim around the doors and windows and the baseboards? Or do you first paint the ceiling, then the trim + baseboards, and then the walls? What is the best order to do this in that a professional would follow? What will make my life the easiest?

Also, if you have a closet that's a part of the room (i.e. built into the wall, but not a walk-in closet in my bedroom), is the standard to paint the inside white or the same colour as the room or some other colour? Does it depend on anything else? What's the most common approach and what's recommended? Do I use the same type of paint, even if the colour is different? Obviously it depends to some degree on my own personal sensibilities, but I'm a visual person and am having a hard time visualizing the scenarios so I can compare them, before I paint. The internet is giving me conflicting answers. If the go-to is to paint it white, can I use the same paint as I will be using to paint the ceilings with? The internet tells me that I need special paint for the ceilings, and it seems a bunch of it will be left after I'm done (the rooms aren't large)

Do any necessary prep work on all parts first. As in patching nail holes, fixing flaws, that sort of thing. Also any primer work that you need to do to cover stains or if the color difference is too great, and you have to kill the old color to put on a new one. Which is common if the old color was dark or bright and the new one is light. If the room is carpeted, and you intend to remove it, do not remove it before painting.

Ceiling first. Then walls, and only when they are to your satisfaction, trim. Only after all of that is done do you tackle the floor.

Closets are typically painted white, or some very light color. Reason being that most closets are poorly lighted, if at all. And rely on light from the room. A light colored closet makes the interior space better lighted and easier to use. But it doesn't have to be white, if you don't like that. It's common to use the same paint as the ceiling. Which is a flat white.

 

[Cutlass]

Is a 3/8" nap not good enough for a textured ceiling? Does it depend on the type of texture? (I am pretty sure it's orange peel)

1/2" nap is good for if you want to hide past sins. It goes over a bit of texture, but leaves texture behind where there was none before. So unevenness in your texture is better hidden with the longer nap.

 

[Core Imposter]

Don't buy cheap paint. There is no circumstance when that is correct. If it is a little thick, thin it to make it more workable.

If you have water stains anywhere on the ceiling, you need to put a coat of KILZ on the whole ceiling. The stains will bleed through your ceiling paint. And if you try to just kill the stains in spots then when you put on the ceiling paint the KILZ spots will be shiny and stand out. You might get by if you are using a semi-gloss paint on the ceiling but that's not a good idea because you want to use flat paint finish on walls and ceiling because flat paints hide imperfection and gloss makes the imperfections stand out.

 

[Core Imposter]

If painting the wall of a room a light color like an antique white, I have used the same paint for the ceiling. A good quality wall paint is fine for ceilings.

The paint store guy might try to sell you on a primer and two coats of paint on top. When repainting you don't need a primer except for water stains. And some weird stuff like if some moron has written on the walls with ink recently. Crayon can be tricky. Might wash that off. You can test by brushing a coat over questionable spots.

 

[Gori the Grey]

If you are painting a ceiling CFC's got you covered!

 

[Birdjaguar]

Don't buy cheap paint.

correct!

 

[Core Imposter]

correct!

And so, after some 13 years, Mister Cooper and Birdjaguar are in agreement. On one point. One and only.

Now, let us never speak of this again.