Indoor Painting of House

DoubleHumbucker · 10-21-2009, 11:46 AM

Im almost ready to paint the who inside of my house. We are either selling or moving out and renting and it has not been painted since it has been built in 1994. Well one room has been painted. Ive been doing the prep work and most of that so far has been patching up the corners and trying to get knock down splatter to match, so far so good.

Some areas of my ceiling go up around 14 feet so Im going to need a good step ladder. I was thinking about 14ft would do. Does that sound about right? I believe my neighbor has one that I can borrow and I was wondering is there some sort of tool,device, hanger or anything you can hang up a step ladder that will hold your paint for you? I don't believe his has anything like that.

My walls are knockdown texture, kind of moderate to heavy. I hate the stuff myself but it's there and I have to deal with it. What is the best roller type for this type of wall? I know they come in smooth and rougher types.

At first I was going to go with colors but then I started thinking that someone new in here might not like the colors so why not go with all white which is what it was when I bought it. Also, it's not an easy job cutting in where the wall meets the ceiling with that texture on the walls. It just isnt and no matter how careful you are, it's a slow painstaking job. I Know they make special ceiling paint but to eliminate the cutting in of the walls I want to use one color for everything. Is that ok to do? Let's say I pick an off white color, a nice wall paint. Can I use that on the ceiling?

What are a couple of the best paint brands to use? I have used Behr in the past but I see that is not popular here.

Last question. Looking up at the ceiling there are a couple of places where you can see where the sheet of drywall has fit in. Not major but just barely. I don't know if the tape cracked or what happened. Will paint hide that or will I need to do sonmething different for that. Im hoping that I do not have to get into sonething where I patch it and then would have to try to match the texture because up there that high, would be hard for me. Again the cracks are small.

Any advice would be so greatly appreciated. Thanks so much for all the help here I have been given.

DH

sdsester · 10-21-2009, 01:21 PM

You can get a nice sturdy paint can hook at a paint store. You may also find one of the paint containers with a handle on it and a place to put your brush handy for cutting in. Hit the dollar store near you for a variety of plastic alternatives. You don't need to be messing with a full gallon of paint up there. Do get or borrow a good roller extension handle.

It is not so much about roller type as it is about roller nap. Depending on the texture, use at least a 1/2" nap roller cover. You may find you need 3/4" or thicker if it is highly textured. Wrap in plastic (and stick in the frig if time will lag) between coats and you will not have to wash it out. I toss the contractor grade covers when I am finally done because I cannot justify using 200-300 gallons of fresh water to rinse out a $3 cover.

I personally hate boring white ceilings as much as the stupid lights plunked in the middle of them. It all dates back to the gas light days when the goal was to get as much reflection out of the single fixture as possible. It is time to move on! Go ahead and paint your ceilings the same color as the walls or a different one if you want. If you do an off white, noone is likely to notice. IMO it looks better than having a silly white hat on things.

Colors are a tricky thing and they can be subjective. On the other hand they add character that all off white cannot. Up to you how to go. Are you showing the house empty? I have lived in places where one never does and in others where agents love it when not a speck of anything is in place.

Cutting in just takes practice and a decent brush with a textured surface but if you don't have to do so between the ceiling and walls you can fly along with a nice 3" or even a 4" brush and be done in no time.

Use paint brands from a paint and not a box store. I like Benjamin Moore the best but Sherwin Williams is a close second. If you are selling the house, get the contractor grade of either as it will save you quite a bit per gallon. It is still nicer paint than Behr, etc. by far. The new owners will get plenty of life out the paint before they decide what changes they want to make.

The paint may fill in MINOR problems you are having with the drywall patch in the ceiling. Since you are selling, I guess how much you put into blending it depends on how obvious it is and whether it would raise concern to a potential buyer. It is a ceiling so may not get a lot of attention? On the other hand it is always nice to do things the right way in my opinion. I sympathize with your ladder concerns. As I age I lose my enthusiasm for the things rapidly but do have good ones I trust.

markmay121 · 10-22-2009, 04:13 PM

I prefer Sherwin Williams brand paints over any other type of paints. they are a little bit more expensive, but you will have a nicer finish at the end. also you might want to look into the Purdy line of brushes and rollers. the purdy clear cuts offer a great cut in brush while the white dove rollers are lint free. you will pay a few dollars more for everything but Sherwin Williams is the way to go!

DoubleHumbucker · 10-27-2009, 07:24 PM

Thanks for the replies. I was looking at the BM Navajo White and I was going to go with the eggshell finish but I was told it has a little gloss in it and would not look good for the ceilings. Would the flat finish be ok? I also hear the flat finish would cover better. Thanks for any help.

DH

sdsester · 10-27-2009, 08:14 PM

Both will cover just fine (so long as you use a thick enough roller cover) and look great on the ceiling too but the eggshell is going to cost more. It does have more sheen to it than flat. It might be more easy to clean. The more sheen, the more any surface imperfections will show. Again, since you are selling the house, I would go with Benjamin Moore's contractor grade in flat. Navajo White is a bit boring but will be fine and will go nicely with woodwork. It also has enough color that it will look alright with bright white trim if that happens to be your situation or, if you need to paint it also, use semi-gloss in the contractor line. Prime first if you are going to cover dark colors and to cover the new knockdown. Plan on two coats.