Are you thinking about do-it-yourself your interior painting?

I found a great resource from Google Knol, written by the professional painting contractors themselves to give you a tip or two on how to make painting your rooms look fantastic.

Here’s the summary of the exceptional tips:

1. Roll paint along the edges for consistent texture: To ensure the finished texture will be consistent in these areas, brush on the paint, then immediately roll it out before the paint dries.
   
2. Prime and texture wall patches to avoid a blotchy finish: Freshly painted walls often look blotchy. A quick coat of primer is all it takes to eliminate flashing and texture differences.
   
3. Let the paint dry, then cut the tape loose for a perfect edge: Once paint is dry, you can’t just pull the tape off the trim. Paint forms a film between the wall and the tape, and removing the tape tears pieces of dried paint off the wall. So before pulling off the tape, cut it loose.
   
4. To avoid lap marks, roll the full height of the wall and keep a wet edge: If you paint in rectangular sections, you double the amount of work and double the chances of lap marks. Instead, roll on the paint the full height of the wall, then move to the next area.
   
5. Feather out the paint where you can’t keep a wet edge: You can’t cover large areas like ceilings, extra-tall walls or stairwells in single, continuous strokes, so the best way to minimize lap marks on these areas is to feather out the paint along the edges that you can’t keep wet.
   
6. Use cotton drop cloths rather than plastic: Spills and spatters happen, regardless of how careful you are. It’s a lot easier to prepare for them than to wipe them out of your carpeting or off your wood floor later. All it takes is canvas drop cloths in your work area.
   
7. Sand trim between coats for an ultra-smooth finish: For a smooth finish, sand the trim before applying each coat of paint.
   
8. Mix several cans of paint in a large bucket for a consistent color throughout the room: Paint color may vary slightly from one can to the next. If you have to open a new can in the middle of a wall, the difference may be noticeable. Mixing the paints together eliminates the problem.
   
9. Clean dirty surfaces so the paint can form a strong bond: Paint dirty, oily surfaces and the paint will easily chip or peel off.
   
10. Paint the trim first, then the ceiling and walls: That’s because it’s easier (and faster) to tape off the trim than to tape off the walls. And you certainly don’t want to tape them both off!
    

For more detailed explanation on each tip, please visit the knol.

Images from Interior Painting Techniques knol, leading image from wharman.