Interior Painting Tips

Living through a repaint

Posts tagged interior painting tips focus on the logistics of having rooms painted while you live in the house. Good planning keeps the household running and protects the finish while it cures.

These posts also cover the less obvious parts of the process, such as how long walls should be left alone after painting and how to store leftover paint so it is still usable years later.

Logistics that help

• Group rooms so bedrooms are back in use by evening when possible.
• Clear shelves, wall art, lamps and anything fragile in advance.
• Run fans and open windows when weather permits; ventilation speeds drying and reduces odor.
• Remember that paint dries in hours but cures over weeks. Avoid scrubbing walls or hanging heavy items right away.
• Keep a small labeled container of each color and sheen for future touch-ups.

Protecting what stays in the room

Not everything can be moved out. Built-ins, heavy furniture, flooring and fixtures need to be covered or masked, and HVAC returns should be considered so dust from sanding does not spread. Let your painter know about anything delicate or valuable that has to stay, and about rooms that need to be usable on particular days, so the schedule can be built around them.

Where to look next

Our interior painting page explains our process, wallpaper removal covers a common first step, and ceiling painting addresses the surface most people forget.