Painting A Kitchen

Tools:

bucket and sponge
paint roller
mini roller
paintbrush and tray
screwdriver
paint pad with wheels
paint shield
5-in-1 painter's tool
semi-gloss paint

Steps:

1. It's very important to thoroughly clean any surface before painting. If the walls are dirty, the paint will not adhere and you'll just be painting again soon.

2. Use a solution of warm water and a dab of dish soap. Clean walls with a damp sponge, but do not get the sponge too wet or this will leave excess moisture in the walls, which will increase the drying time for the paint.

4. Fill in any nail holes with spackle. Do not use a putty knife. Just use your fingers to pack spackle into nail holes (figure A). Avoid leaving bumps and do not sand down area, as this will change the texture of the surrounding area. Allow spackle to dry.

5. Now you're ready to paint. Begin by cutting in the trim areas around the perimeter, then come back with a paint roller and "roll in" the large area.

6. Place the paint shield against the wall, place a moderate amount of paint on your brush (do not overload the brush), and start painting (figure B).

7. Work from a dry area back into a wet area. Also take care to keep the backside of the paint shield clean.

8. Another useful tool for painting trim at the top of the wall is a paint pad that rides on rollers (figure C). The pad holds paint well and does a good job.

9. After the trim along the top and bottom of the walls is finished, filling in the center with a large roller is a piece of cake. Start by loading the roller with paint, painting a "W" on the wall, then filling in around the letter until you've got a nice square of painted area (figure D).