Need some painting help

[Pardus]

Looking to paint my place soon, need some advice as i have never painted this much area by myself and want to do it right.

1. Going from a dark color to all white, do i need primer?

2. Is there any paint that has primer built in?

3. What brand of paint covers and cleans easily, ex: Olympia, Benjamin Moore, Behr, Shermin Williams and so on.

4. How do you paint over electrical outlets/wall switches/phone jacks. I can remove the plates, but the outlets are painted with a dark color, would like them to be plain white without replacing them.

5. Any good tips to paint baseboards, windows and other areas that are just difficult. Do i need to put down tape all around these areas, would be a lot of tape.

There is a lot of prep work to do as well. Thanks all.

 

[olds]

Looking to paint my place soon, need some advice as i have never painted this much area by myself and want to do it right.

1. Going from a dark color to all white, do i need primer?
Maybe

2. Is there any paint that has primer built in?
Yes. I just used Behr. It's not a fix all.

3. What brand of paint covers and cleans easily, ex: Olympia, Benjamin Moore, Behr, Shermin Williams and so on.
Don't scrimp on paint. Get their best.

4. How do you paint over electrical outlets/wall switches/phone jacks. I can remove the plates, but the outlets are painted with a dark color, would like them to be plain white without replacing them.
With a roller that's not too wet.

5. Any good tips to paint baseboards, windows and other areas that are just difficult. Do i need to put down tape all around these areas, would be a lot of tape.
If you're not experienced, blue tape and a sash bush. If it's one coat, I freehand.

There is a lot of prep work to do as well. Thanks all.

Bolded

 

[thedarkwolf]

Lowes and Home Depot both have paints with primer built in. I didn't have great results with the Home Depot stuff going from dark to light but that may have been my stupid textured walls. They are just a pita to get good coverage on. I hate taping HATE IT so I just free hand the trim. Get a good quality angled brush and give it a try. Keep a wet rag/sponge handy and wipe off anything you do get on the trim and you won't have any problems.

 

[blackangst1]

Originally Posted by ActiveX
Looking to paint my place soon, need some advice as i have never painted this much area by myself and want to do it right.

1. Going from a dark color to all white, do i need primer?
Maybe

2. Is there any paint that has primer built in?
Yes. I just used Behr. It's not a fix all.

3. What brand of paint covers and cleans easily, ex: Olympia, Benjamin Moore, Behr, Shermin Williams and so on.
Don't scrimp on paint. Get their best.

4. How do you paint over electrical outlets/wall switches/phone jacks. I can remove the plates, but the outlets are painted with a dark color, would like them to be plain white without replacing them.
With a roller that's not too wet.

5. Any good tips to paint baseboards, windows and other areas that are just difficult. Do i need to put down tape all around these areas, would be a lot of tape.
If you're not experienced, blue tape and a sash bush. If it's one coat, I freehand.

There is a lot of prep work to do as well. Thanks all.

Bolded

Good advice. Of the brands you listed, Sherwin Williams is about the best. Behr would be my next bet. Both make a paint with primer built in. That said, you may need 2 coats.

For outlets, just take off the covers and roll around them.

Use LOTS of blue tape! Dont scrimp on tape either. Get the real stuff.

USE DRAPE SHEETS!

There are also lots of videos on youtube with painting tips i.e. propeer way to cut in, etc.

 

[lxskllr]

I don't like painted outlets. They get chipped up, and it looks like a half assed hiding job. I prefer "Look at me! I'm an outlet!" than "Don't look over here, I'm trying to hide in a corner". Remove the plates, paint the walls, put the plates back.

 

[Pardus]

thanks all, appreciate the advice, the yellow walls are making me insane, has got to go.

 

[lxskllr]

Wow, that's really bright. I like unusual/unorthodox colors, but that's a bit much :^D

 

[JPS35]

Regarding paint, is this a 1/2 bath you are painting or does it also have a shower/tub? If it is just the 1/2 bath, use a semi gloss latex. It is easy to clean up, easy to touch up, and covers well if you get a good,quality brand. The yellow is lighter than you think, but it certainly would be good to go over it with a primer and see how much the color bleeds through. In any case, use at least two coats of your main color. If it is a full bath, you might want to consider using an oil based paint to prevent steam/water damage. It is tough to clean up, but would be better in this case.


Why paint the outlets? Take the plates off and buy some new switches they are generally cheap and easy to switch out with the old ones.

If your walls have no finish to them, you can tape the trim with a tape tool that makes it fast and easy. Use the wider blue tape (1 1/2 - 2") as it makes it easier to get off when completed. I also generally re-tape between coats so the tape does not become part of the wall or tear the paint.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Yellow is not my favorite color but, if you paint the walls to match the door, I might have to cut my throat just to add some color to the place. WTH is it with people painting everything white? Makes me want to chug a bottle of bleach and finish the job.