Not a pro on painting, but I've done a lot of it. Since this is in the bedroom, and it's in good shape, I see no need to sand or TSP. You'd sand the wall if you're going to fill any holes before painting. And you'd wash the walls with TSP if they were, say, in the kitchen, where they'd be subject to grease. But for your wall, I think all you need is a good latex primer and you're good to go. The primer sticks to everything.

Tape down newspaper or butcher paper to the baseboards, then you can thrown down an old sheet or drop cloth to protect the floor.

I like to use these things, I haven't a clue what they're called, but they're squares and you can use them for the cutting in. Ask at your paint place for them. Also like to use the angled brushes.

Brushes and rollers are NOT to be skimped on. Buy the best you can. For rollers, you need to get the right size nap for the wall. If your walls are smooth, then a 1/4" nap is fine. Again, ask your paint store people. I like to get a heavier duty roller frame, but they DO get heavy.

Clean up tips...on your paint can, once you've taken the top off, get a nail and punch a few holes on the INSIDE rim. This helps the paint drip back into the can. When you go to close up the can, run a bit of petroleum jelly along the rim, this keeps extra air out, which gums up your paint.

I also put my brush and roller in plastic bags and wrap up tight with a rubber band between coats. That way I don't have to wash them out and wait to dry before I can do the 2nd coat. ALWAYS do 2 at least 2 coats of your color paint.

Oh, and my latest bright idea was to pour a bit of paint into a plastic container (I cut a 2 liter bottle in half and used the bottom) for my brush painting. Between coats, I put the container in a gallon size zip lock bag. I didn't have to pour the paint back into the can! And I was able to keep it like this for a couple of days, perfect for touch up painting.

Rinse your brush and roller cover with water until they run pretty clear, and you can use a bit of shampoo on them. Then rinse, rinse, rinse till clear. Then let air dry.

One other thing I always do with the paint is write the brand, color name, color code, and what room I used it in on the top of the can with a permanent marker. Don't rely on that little dot they put on the top! Then if I need to match or do touch ups later, I always know what paint for what room.

Hope these tips helped a bit.

I forgot to mention...I don't usually recommend a semi-gloss in the bedroom. I'd go with a satin. Semi-gloss is better for the bathroom or kitchen.

Ditto on the satin, rather than semigloss.

Most of the time you spend will be in prep work. This is how it should be.

Get a really good brush with an angled tip. Don't skimp.

Will you be painting the ceiling too?

Get some real (blue) painter's tape. Don't skimp on that either.

There's lots on the net about painting. Go to Google and type in "How to paint a room" -- in quotes. You'll get lotsa good information.

I have been painting for the last 7 years in our house. It's a sort of obsession with me.

I have never used TSP, not even in the kitchen, not even when I painted my cabinets and they aren't even real wood.

I have never sanded a semi-gloss wall. The only sanding I have ever done was when I filled in a hole and needed to sand down the spackle a little.

I also haven't sanded a bit of paneling, fake wood wainscot, trim or cabinets before painting and the paint DOES stick!

I don't use tape. Every time I have tried, I end up with a bigger mess of peeled up paint. I wipe up quick drips right away and keep old towels underneath the area I'm working in. Anything else I accidently get on another painted surface, I touch up with the leftover paint from that job!

The roller covers I use are the generics from Wal-Mart, their Mainstays brand. Never had a problem!

I buy REAL bristle brushes from Wal-Mart or Lowe's, not the fake stuff. They're $1 or less and work way better than any fancy brush I have tried to use. For the SMALLER areas, I use my craft paint brushes. I can get small spots and not end up with a mess because I have better control over the brush.

I even use Wal-Mart's Color Place paint each and every time. It doees the job, it goes on easily, it doesn't stink like other paint I have used an it doesn't drip...why pay double or more for a can of paint? Not to mention, depending on where you live, it's either made by Sherwin-Williams, Valspar or Master Chem (Kilz) :D

I don't think there is a right/wrong way to painting. You just have to find YOUR way. Just be sure pay attention to the amount of paint your putting on the roller at a time. If you're getting really thick places that you have to work to roll out a lot, you're using too much. In the case of my friend's nursery, if you find your hubby is using 6 coats of paint and you can still see through to the white beneath, you're not using enough paint! LOL

Also don't try to think it's going to be a quick job. Painting isn't hard, it's time consuming. A lot of time prepping and waiting on paint to dry. And one coat paint isn't all what it's cut out to be. Nobody can put a coat of paint on a wall and get it completely covered for one coat to work. You should always do at one more coat to be sure you have everything covered evenly!

Good luck!

I was a virgin painter about this time last year too (when I had 1100 SF of newly finished basement to prime and paint), and got lots of helpful hints from here, the paint forum, and the hgtv forums also. Check out the paint forum for some "pro" painters and ask them specific questions....

I was first told I had to cut-in and paint at the same time to keep a wet edge, so I did this for the first 2 rooms, but then I read that some people had good success with cutting-in completely first (one day) and rolling the paint the next day, so I decided to try it (because I knew when it came time to paint my stairway, I'd be forced to do it this way).....and I could NOT tell the difference. I was so glad to learn this time-saving "trick".

It's best to just have a "steady hand" when cutting-in at the ceiling. With paint on your brush (angled, 3"), put it to the wall about 1/4" from the ceiling and sort of smoosh it up to the crack, then drag it along. You want to get that line up there first then smooth/paint out a wider strip.

Since I had a lot of area to paint primer on, I "practiced" with the primer as if it were paint so that my technique would be okay by the time I started on the real paint. In my first room, I did it by the book--cut-in then paint, but I found I was cutting-in too much and wasting time. In my second room, I rolled on the primer first then cut-in, because then I could see how much actual cutting-in I would need by seeing how close I could get with the roller (and it wasn't as much as I'd thought thus saving me time when I started with the paint colors....by then, I knew just how wide my strip at the top would need to be).

I worked in vertical "strips" from left to right (your preference, though). I'd break each strip (of about 2.5' wide) down into 3 segments on the average-height wall. I'd start at the top and work down, loading new paint onto the roller with each segment, only slightly overlapping the previous area. After painting the bottom segment, I'd "tip-off" the whole strip by starting at the bottom and lightly rolling the roller all the way to the top, gently lifting off at the top, all the way across this strip (not reloading any paint). I got this hint from a painter on one of the forums.

I LOVE the hint to use plastic bags to store your brushes and rollers between coats. Wow, what a time saver. And, when painting more than your one wall, using a 5-gal bucket and screen is a whole lot easier than using paint trays!

For cutting-in, I like those little hand-held paint holders and liners (I got mine at Lowe's). They have 2 "compartments"--one for paint and another one for the brush to sit in. They are small enough you can put them into plastic bags when you need a break or whatever.

I don't know about wall-prep as my walls were fresh--you'll at least want to dust them off. I also don't know about painting satin on top of semi-gloss. I'm guessing the primer will take care of that? I'm curious to know because I'll be needing to paint over a semi-gloss when I re-do the guest bath.

Oh, and as for tape. I just read this week on the paint forum about a new tape called Frog Tape (found at some Ace hardware stores). It has an edge that "seals" when it comes into contact with latex and doesn't allow as much seepage. I haven't tried it yet, but I'm going to pick up some this week. I have an "old" room to paint--this time I will be concerned with molding and trim, and I don't want any seepage.

Good luck and have fun. Painting can be addictive!
Tracey

I agree with the tips above, especially do not skimp on brushes and rollers. Find small containers that can be used for small amounts of paint for touch ups when you get wall dings, etc., and keep a small brush handy for that purpose.
I always wrap my brushes and roller in plastic, put into plastic bags and into thew freezer. Take them out in advance so they can thaw a bit and they will be fine to continue your project with. I've had brushes in the freezer for 2 years, reusing them as I worked my way painting through the house. Even oil based paints are fine in the freezer - just wipe off any excess moisture before using.

thank you, thank you, thank you! these are great tips. I really appreciate your saving me the $$ and time of sanding/TSPing the bedroom walls. I'm off to Home Despot later and will report back.

You guys are great!

"I was first told I had to cut-in and paint at the same time to keep a wet edge..."Aggggh! Utter hooey, as you found out, Tracey. I have done the edges on a Monday and the wall on Saturday and you can't tell the difference.

All good tips here -- except that I disagree with painting the jointure of wall and ceiling by hand.

I could never get this right by hand. My hand is not steady enough, especially when I'm balanced on the top of a ladder.

Here's what I do -- especially if the ceiling is white and the wall is a contrasting color -- DO use blue painters' tape. After you have painted the ceiling and it has dried for a day, tape the ceiling edge. Here's how:

Run an arm's-length of tape at a time. Place the tape about 1/8" onto the ceiling. Don't try to get the tape into the exact join of wall and ceiling, you'll never get it right. The tape should be flat onto the ceiling surface, about (as I said) 1/8" away from the join. Press along the tape HARD to make a firm seal, so there are no leaks.

Oh, and I never use TSP either.

Between your first coat and your second coat, if you want to see any imperfections (or as I call them, "smutches"), take a clip light and hold it at an angle to the wall. You can find any dust or drips easily this way. Sand them off before the second coat.

Whee!

Please come back and let us know how this goes for you!

I just painted over semi-gloss in my great room. I used a very weak solution of tsp, and then went over it again with plain water. I used a primer made specifically for going from semi-gloss to a lower sheen. I taped my trim. I used a good Purdy angled brush to cut in (thank you paint forum). I found a plastic pouring gadget that goes around the rim of the paint can and allows for NO paint drips down the outside of the can. That was a few bucks, but priceless in my opinion. And I put a layer of saran-wrap over my can before I put the lid on and resealed. This has been my first year of painting, and I was scared that I would screw up. You're right, it's not rocket science, but you do want to take your time and do it right. BTW - I got a couple of expensive artist brushes to tackle some of the really little spots when cutting in with a darker color against a light ceiling. It was time consuming, but gave me a very sharp line, that I couldn't get with the larger angle brush. It seems that some people are just gifted with cutting in.

Good Luck - you'll do fine.

One more tip: Use a soup ladle to dip the paint from the can into a tray or smaller container. You can buy a cheap plastic ladle at Walmart or a dollar store. Saves a lot of mess and keeps your paint can clean.

I've been painting for more years than you'll get me to admit. I do not wash, sand or prime latex painted walls that are in decent condition. Just paint it. Be sure to remove baseboards and electrical switchplates first, and use something (plastic, old towels, newspaper) to keep drips off your floor. Keep a pot of water and a clean sponge handy for drips and for slime on your hands. Tie your hair back to keep it out of the paint.

I use a soup ladle, too. You can also use the 1" foam brushes to clean around the rim of the can.

Paint around the edges first (ceiling edge, corners, around switchplates, windows, etc) with a good brush. (I insist on Purdy brushes -- they make all the difference in the world.) Then roller all the center stuff and that's all there is to it.

I think you'll actually enjoy it and be very proud of yourself when you're done. Please be sure to post before and after pictures here! :)

walkin, everyone pretty much knows what they are talkin about, you just get in there and do it. One little suggestion (we just primed and painted all last weekend), DH has a rolling cart he uses in the garage, I think it's an old overhead projector cart, and it's great for putting the paint tray on and moving it along with you. So if you have a rolling cart, that would sure help! Just a suggestion. Happy painting!

thanks again, all, for more excellent tips. (Oceanna, I dearly wish I could just paint it -- but we're going from a dark pink-brown to a pale beige. Isn't primer necessary in that case?)

Another question. I was at HD explaining to the paint guy that I plan to do a good job of priming, and then am going to put up foamcore etc. He warned me that I have to paint the wall within 7 days of priming, or the primer won't work -- it won't help the new paint color adhere to the wall.

Huh? The ugly pink will be fully covered, yes? So wouldn't that make our situation something like just painting a white wall? What's magic about primer within the first seven days? I asked him this and he couldn't quite tell me: said something about "it'll just become another layer of color on the wall." To which I say, right, and infinitely better than the current layer of color. What's the problem?

Can anyone help decipher this? or has he been inhaling too many fumes?

Walkin, primer can be helpful when changing colors drastically, yes. Or you can just put on two coats of paint. Do what comes out cheaper for you. IOW, there's no reason to have a half a can of primer and a half a can of paint left over at the end. You can do a little test patch with your paint if you want.

In some cases primer is a great idea because of color change -- like a coat of grey primer under red paint may cut down on your number of coats needed (red is notoriously in need of multiple coats as it's so transparent).

I know the guys at the store (can we say agenda?) always advise a primer, but honestly I've painted jillion times without one. Primer is paint, you know. When I would definitely prime is on bare wood, bare wallboard, when I am scared paint might not stick and have sanded, over patched up work, or when painting red. In other cases it may come out six to one half a dozen to the other -- or you may be surprised and get away with only one coat. I find Behr the best of any brand I've used at covering in one coat.

Since you're covering red, you certainly can't go wrong in using a primer. But if I'm painting in colors that are fairly close in intensity, I don't use one.

"...inhaling too many fumes?"

Hahahahaha... yeah.

Remember, it's his job to sell paint, not to save you money.

What oceanna said... primer is paint.

The last time I painted a room, DH was adamant about priming first. When I got to the store, I learned that a can of primer costs more than a can of paint. Made no sense to me.

Two coats of paint covered just fine for me. And DH never noticed any difference.

For me, primer is truly useful only when painting raw drywall, or metal.

The others are right about the primer thing! I only use primer if I'm painting a piece of furniture or something that's going to get used and touched a lot. If I'm changing colors on the walls, I just do an extra coat of paint or two to cover up the old color. Whatever it takes. Does it really matter if you used primer and then two coats of paint or just three coats of paint? You're still applying three layers! LOL Sometimes the primer is actually harder to cover than whatever color was there in the first place.

Last year I painted the paneling used as wainscot in our living room. I started out with primer thinking it would be best in this situation. I realized I wouldn't have enough so I tried the wall without it. It took two extra coats where I put the primer, only two full coats of paint where I skipped on it. You can't tell a difference and all the paint is sticking just fine to the wall!

I haven't done any painting very recently, but am gearing up to do some soon. I am familiar with a lot of the time saving tips here but I need to make sure I am understanding you correctly about the roller and brushes in plastic? I remembered hearing that but thought was only for oil paint which I NEVER use. Are you saying if I am going to paint again in a day or 2 that I don't have to rinse the paint from the brushes/rollers? dont they get stiff and dry out? No? I would love that! talk about time saving. I used to do the painting in a few bunches of times, and found that it took me QUITE a while to prepare to clean up. If you save me that time, I will be a MOST happy painter! Please 'splain me again so I can be sure?

walkin- if you want to learn to paint well, spend some time reading over on the Paint forum where Brushworks (Michael), Paintguy and a couple other experts hang out and regularly give advice. When I was preparing to paint my entire house, their advice was extremely helpful.

They very much believe in priming first, but I have never seen anything from them on the need to paint immediately after priming. (If it doesn't say that on the bucket of primer, I wouldn't believe it.)

The best tips I got from that forum:

Don't use a paint tray. Use a bucket instead - it saves time of refilling the tray, is much easier to move around, and you are less likely to have an accident.

A 7 inch standard size roller used in place of the 9 inch will give much better control if you don't have a lot of upper body strength.

Let the paint dry completely between cutting in and rolling.

High quality paint, brushes and rollers appropriate to the type of paint and type of wall.

Use an extension pole to limit the amount of time you need to be on a ladder - saves time and you can see what you are doing better.

Use a light touch when rolling on paint - don't press the roller into the wall.

Technique:
The most common newbie mistake is spreading the paint too thin, which leads to blotches where patches overlap. If you were hearing "frying bacon" sounds when you were rolling, it was spread too thin.

If you are getting lines off the edge of your roller (we call them ropes in the biz because that is what they look like on the wall after it is dry), that could be caused by many things. You may be using a cheap roller cover or an old one that has been washed too many times and is really ready for the trash. You may not have the roller cover saturated enough or you may simply be putting uneven pressure on the sleeve when you roll. Once you get going, you should barely have to press at all....the sleeve should be saturated enough so that it will do most of the work for you.

The "ropes" from the roller edges have several causes:
1. You are pushing too hard and squeezing paint out the edge
2. Cheap roller has a "fringe" at the end (look at expensive rollers and they have a bevel). I trim the ends of the cheap ones before I start to paint.
3. Wrong kind of roller ... too thick a nap for the surface you are painting.
4. Loading with too much paint. It takes practice to learn what "enough" feels like

I apply the paint in a "W" pattern rather than an "X". You won't have to lift the roller off the wall if you make a W. The reason you're doing this strange letter pattern is to get the paint on the wall while spreading it out just a little bit at the same time. Prevents drips. But you don't want to spread it too wide or you'll have too much area to cover and not enough time to do it. After you get the paint onto the wall using the W method, go over it to spread this accumulation of wet paint to the upper and lower areas of the wall, going in an up and down stroke. Only do narrow sections at a time, think of your wall as a series of columns, stay within approx 2 ft column before proceeding with the next section (where you start the process over again, applying more paint). Sometimes there isn't enough paint to cover the section and you have to apply a little more, don't bother with the W pattern there, apply it to the upper or lower area where needed. When it's evenly applied do once last roll from top to bottom.

Mayvenne asked: "Are you saying if I am going to paint again in a day or 2 that I don't have to rinse the paint from the brushes/rollers?"

YES! Isn't that GREAT???

For rollers, anyway. Not for brushes.

If I'm going to be using the roller again the next day, I "empty" it as much as possible onto the wall surface, then I put the roller into a large ziploc bag. It won't fit all the way; just put the roller part in, not the handle. Then squeeze most of the air out of the bag (don't squeeze the roller itself, because this will distort the surface of the roller and make it useless).

Zip the bag closed, as much as you can. It should be almost completely zipped, with just a little bit unzipped where the handle sticks out.

I know painters who remove the roller from the handle and put just the roller into into a ziploc bag, but I think this messy, and far more trouble than it's worth.

Brushes, on the other hand...

I have a good set of brushes and I love them, so I treat them very tenderly. I wash them thoroughly when I'm done with them, using shampoo. Yup, shampoo. I learned this trick (ages ago) when I was an artist. Shampoo and warm water.

Wash your brushes gently but thoroughly to get all the paint out. Squeeze the bristles gently in a towel to get excess water out, then reshape the bristles and put the brush upright in a can or a cup to dry.

I have brushes that are twenty years old and they're still in great shape.

I thought that was what you all were saying but needed to be sure. I guess I just got motivated!
Bless you one and all!

Mayvenne asked: "Are you saying if I am going to paint again in a day or 2 that I don't have to rinse the paint from the brushes/rollers?"
YES! Isn't that GREAT???

For rollers, anyway. Not for brushes.

Someone mentioned putting the plastic bag covered rollers in the freezer. I did that once and ended up with a bunch of food that smelled like paint. It would have been cheaper to use a new roller cover than it cost to replace the food.

My longest project with the same color paint only lasted about a week, and I didn't freeze or refrigerate my roller. I just put it in a big plastic trash bag and rolled it up (the roller) until it wouldn't roll any further (with the bag wrapping around and around it), then I twisted the rest of the bag around the handle. Of course, it was winter and not hot (don't know if that would have anything to do with it?).

MClarke--how do you get the "stained" paint out of the brushes? When I finish painting and wash my brush, there's always some color left about 1 1/2 inches up into the brush.

Thanks,
Tracey

THANK YOU ALL!

I neglected to take pictures of the before, so the after won't look all that exciting. (also, the clutter is terrifying, and I am reluctant to show you all the mess) But the wall is WHITE! Cutting-in wasn't perfect: now I understand how hard that is to do really well. But the awful dark color is gone, and the room already looks lighter, brighter... that pink was really godawful.

Thanks for your help, everyone!

I use the plastic bag trick for my brushes, also. It's the air that dries everything out, so if it's air tight, the brush is ok. Granted, I've never kept a brush 20 years, but so far, none of my brushes has taken a beating by now washing each time. And goodness knows, those poor brushes have seen GALLONS of paint!

So glad to hear you've gotten rid of the horrible color. Gotta love paint, the easiest decorating fix there is.

Hell-o all:
Yes, absolutely, been doing it for 25 years or more. Do not need to wash your brushes or rollers between uses if you will be continuing the same paint project. (can't account for whoever said her freezer smelled worse of paint than of fish or whatever she had in her freezer). I just know it works for me and it's been a great help to reduce cleanup after every paint project.
Scrape or clean as much paint off your brushes as you can; wrap in plastic wrap if possible; and/or put into a plastic bag tie as best you can. If possible, put into another freezer bag; tie as best you can around the handle; freeze or put into the refridgerater.
When you're ready to continue painting; take the brushes and rollers out of the freezer; let thaw a while; take the bags off (if oil based paint - wipe dry); get going on your project. I have had frozen paint brushes and rollers in my freezer for 2 or more years (in and out of my freezer) before finishing my paint projects.

I've only heard that an *exterior* primer is good for 30 days before painting over it. I've never heard anything specifically about interior primer, but I imagine it too has a limited window for best results. I've been priming our de-wallpapered plaster walls first before painting, although I didn't prime the stucco walls of my office first (I just washed and then wiped them down with a rag damp with clear water). On a surface that's been painted with a semi-gloss or gloss I use a deglosser first. It's stinky and I have to wear a respirator, but it seems to be better than sanding, which is a consideration for us as we have an old house with possible lead paint.

So Walkin... did you do a primer? And how many coats did you end up doing? What brand of paint? Did you get some satisfaction from it? Next time will you hire it done or do it yourself?

You've gotten lots of good advice.

I always wrap my rollers and brushes in plastic wrap between coats. Tear off a good length of wrap, place it flat, place the roller on it and roll it up, twist the long ends and tuck them under. It will stay wet for a few days this way.

If you have any repair patches, you will need to prime them or the final coat will be funky.

I just painted my dining room from brick red to a grey green. There were lots of repair patches, so I spot primed with primer tinted to my color, then did a whole coat of primer over that, then I only needed one coat of paint.

I like to keep an artist's brush on hand for tight little spots and touch ups.

Do your cutting in when you have lots of energy--it's easier to roll big patches when you are tired than hold a brush steady at the ceiling...

and keep a wet rag handy.

Hi all -- back again after a few days off email. Oceanna, we did use a primer, mainly because we were covering semigloss (we did briefly scuff sand it, though, just in case) and because we didn't have enough extra white paint in the garage. Just one coat of Behr (HD) interior primer, which was enough to give us a mostly-white wall -- not perfect, though. (should we do it again, do you think?) but we will probably do two coats of whatever color we eventually choose. I am leaning towards a very light grey-toned taupe (BM Hot Spring Stones is the most likely culprit), but am not sure, and knew the hideous pink would affect any color I tried to test on that wall. So we had to get it to white, or mostly-white, to be able to figure out what we'd want as a permanent color.

Satisfaction: enormous! I've never painted before, and it felt wonderful to figure out how to do it, to see the results so quickly, to feel like I can affect the quality of the space around me rather than hiring someone. Very empowering. (my kids were leaping around delighted, too, and demanding that their rooms get painted next. I am thinking of putting magnetic primer or chalkboard paint in their rooms -- that'd be really fun. And I like the idea of them doing it with me, although I'm not sure how well I'd like the reality, given that they're 6 and 3!)

I might hire out the very long facing wall next to this one, because we'll probably paint that one a more neutral color than it currently is, but it's not anywhere near as offensive as the pink, so I'm in no rush.

What I learned here made the whole process easier, esp the bit about rollering first and cutting-in later. Thanks again!

You only need one coat of primer. You aren't going for a pristine white wall with primer. It is totally ok for it to be imperfect, as long as you have a light coat over all the old paint, your good to go. I still do 2 coats even with Devine paint. I'm pretty ocd with it! :) But my walls turned out incredible.

walkin yesindeed: "...Satisfaction: enormous! I've never painted before, and it felt wonderful to figure out how to do it, to see the results so quickly, to feel like I can affect the quality of the space around me rather than hiring someone. Very empowering..."

Exactly! That's why I love-love-love to paint!

Walkin...you are now officially "Paintinyesindeed" You rock girl...good for you! OH..and don't even think about hiring out the long wall...why do you think you can't do that one? You can do anything, we are here to help you along!

Walkin' yaaaay for you! Now maybe you see why I really do love painting so much. It's the most dynamic change you can make for so little money, and it makes everything new and clean and fresh. Besides, the act of doing it is a bit like meditation, I think. I find it restful to the soul, much like gardening. Ooooohhhhhmmmmmmm....

I'm so happy for you that you've discovered how to do it yourself. Enjoy!

I was looking for tips and did a search,lo and behold this whole thread came up.
This thread is excellent.
Thank you one and all.

Oceanna, wisrose, you guys are so sweet! Thanks for the hand-holding and cheerleading. After a bit of time (much of it spent peacefully basking in the greatly increased ambient light in the MBR, thanks to that newly white wall), I feel even better about the whole thing. Honestly, it was/is exciting. (:

I have not really painted in a long long time, and really appreciate the tips here, and so, I am bumping this one and hopefully will remember to keep this as one of my clippings. Very good info.

I'm mentally readying myself to tackle painting. The thing that's been holding me back is that the ceilings need to be done first, and to do them I'll need to move all the rugs and furniture and cover everything up, so it will be disruptive. Also, they need quite a bit of repair (little cracks, some almost-flaking loose paint). Any tips on how to proceed? (We have plaster walls, btw -- will the usual spackling stuff work on thin cracks?)

My favorite painting job was on a newly drywalled and sanded empty room. All I had to do was paint.

bump because this is a GREAT thread.