Prepping The Interior Of Your Home For Painting

When it comes to painting the inside of your home, the first step isn't making sure you pick the right color. Prepping the inside of your home is imperative to ensure the paint job lasts and you protect your belongings in the process.

• Move and/or cover furniture. This will ensure you don't get paint on them and allow plenty of room to work.
• Wash walls with an all-purpose household cleaner. This eliminates dirt and dust and allows the paint to properly adhere to the wall. You'll want to wash from the top down to avoid streaks.
• Patch any holes or abnormalities on the wall. Drywall compound can fill a hole. For cracks, you need to get a little more in depth. Use fiberglass mesh to prevent the crack from returning, and then put a few thin layers of drywall compound over it. You'll then have to sand it down until the wall is smooth and even.
• Caulk/spackle seams, gaps, cracks and holes, as moisture can penetrate through them.
• Remove all electrical switch plates, cable outlets and phone jack covers. Masking tape can be used to cover electricity outlets and things of that nature.
• Trim needs to be sanded to remove sheen. Remove any flaking paint and smooth with the sand paper.

You're now ready to begin painting. Start with the ceiling, then the walls and finish with the woodwork.

This article originally appeared at magazine.angieslist.com.