Here are some excellent interior and exterior house painting tips.

First, gather the tools that you will need to paint the interior of the house. Being organized is the first step in preparing to paint the inside and outside of house. Find a good brush to do the trim, rollers to roll on the paint, drop clothes, rags and plastic bags to assist you with keeping everything tidy.

Next, remove the furniture from the house or move everything to one place in a room. Cover the furniture with drop clothes. Make sure that you cover everything well to avoid spills on the furniture. Cover the furniture with old sheets after you place the drop cloths over them for extra protection. You may wish to remove all the hardware from cabinets, switch plates, and light fixtures from the wall. A lot of people try to paint around the hardware, but inevitably get drips all over it.

Prepare yourself for house painting. Wear old comfortable clothing and shoes. Wear a hat, scarf or a shower cap on your head to protect you from spills while you are painting the ceiling. Wear shoes that are easy to remove to prevent from tracking paint from one room to another.

Now that you are prepared to paint, prepare the interior surface that you are painting to receive the paint. If there is wallpaper, you must strip the wallpaper and prime the walls with a good quality primer. If the walls are not clean, you must wash them with a solution of three tablespoon of laundry detergent to one gallon of water. Any paint that is peeling or cracking should be sanded and any cracks should be fixed.

Choosing your paint can be quite a task. Do you want water-based or oil-based paint? Water-bases paint is easy to clean up and it dries quickly. Oil-based paint is great for cabinets and woodwork. Clean-up can be accomplished with paint thinner.

Once you have chosen the right color and gloss for your walls, you can then begin to paint. Now you may thing that you just aim and begin to paint. However, here are a few tips to make the job a little easier. Start with a small brush and paint the areas where the roller will not fit. Make sure that you use painter’s tape to cover areas that you do not want painted.

Roll a light coat of paint in one direction. Your goal is to apply a light coat and then a second heavier coat of paint in another direction. This will hide the streaks.

In preparing the exterior of your house to be painted, all you may need is a good washing down. You can utilize the water hose and scrub the dirt with a brush and detergent. You may even need to power wash it.

Your home may need additional attention before you can paint it. Some of the shingles or siding may be split. Nails may have popped out or you may have peeling paint, rust stains and mildew. After identifying the problems that you may have, then you have to correct those problems.

Bushes and trees can get in your way while you are painting the exterior of your house. Any branches that are hanging should be pruned. Large bushes should be wrapped with a drop cloth. Smaller shrubs and flower beds should be covered with drop cloths. The sidewalk and driveways should be protected with drop cloths from spills as well.

Once again, you must choose a quality primer for the exterior of your home. A primer makes the paint adhere better. You must choose paint that will withstand the elements. Consider whether you will choose water-based or oil-based paint. Take your time painting. Do not be in a hurry. Paint from the roof to the bottom to prevent streaks. Combine all of the paint together so that the color will be uniform. Choose the right time of year to paint. Extreme humidity will make the paint bubble.

Be careful when you are choosing your finish. Gloss paint will protect the high traffic parts of your home, such as porches, doors and window frames.

Finally, once the paint job is complete, you should inspect the caulk every year, remove mold, mildew and touch up blisters and peels.

Article originally published at Source by Edward Winslow