Preparation is essential in painting, be it interior or exterior. An experienced painting contractor would express that this represents a huge chunk of the painting process. From color selection to surface inspection and repair, all these must be done to construct a good foundation for the entire task. Interior House Painting. First, get your materials ready. Paints, brushes, roller, primer, industrial gloves, paint remover and plastic drop cloths to name a few. Most people have difficulty identifying what colors would go well with certain rooms. Rule of thumb, dark hues will make a room seem cramped. Light colors are expansive, making rooms appear spacious. A room should be assessed before applying any primer or paint. What feel do you want the room to exude? Warmth? Airy? Playful? Tranquil? Try to use shades that complement the colors your furniture. Prep the room. Clear the room. Try to remove all furniture and hardware, if same cannot be done due to its size, move the remaining to the center of the room and cover it with plastic drop cloths. Floors need to be covered too. For the ceiling, remove all light fixtures. Inspect surface for cracks, rusting from nails and other discolorations, chippings and gaps. Scrape off chipping paint and sand the edges. Wash if necessary. Fill holes, left by nails or materials, with spackling paste. To seal the gaps or corner cracks, re-caulk. For wood depression or rotting wood, repair is done by digging out the damaged part and stuffing it with wood filler. Once dry, lightly sand it smooth with a fine-grit sandpaper then apply a coat of primer. Before you paint, vacuum the dust brought by the sanding.

Apply paint. Use brush, roller or spray depending on the surface. Remember the sequence; ceiling, walls, windows, doors then baseboards. Lastly, clean up then move all furniture and hardware back. Exterior House Painting. The preparation in exterior painting is somewhat similar to the one discussed in the preceding paragraph, though this one is a much bigger scale. Again, let’s start with color selection. Find the existing dominant color that you like to keep. Use a color range that goes perfectly with the permanent color of the house. Note the color schemes used on the roof, the brick walls, the stonework, the patios and even the garden. Do you want to stand out or blend in? Blending in doesn’t mean that you have to use the same color as that of your neighbor, it is just a way of saying that your house would fit comfortably with the others. And standing out, need not mean that you have to paint your house in pink or black just to tick off the neighbors. It means that you have to put a touch of personality, of individuality and make it your own. (It is your house, you’re the one who’s going to live in it.)

With the changing weather, one must keep up with the forecast. Of course, paint needs to dry, latex or otherwise, even a drizzle would ruin the paint job.

Prep the house. Lighting fixtures, spouts, gutters, shutters and other accessories need to be removed. These items should be painted separately. Cover the surrounding flora with canvas (not plastic) drop cloths to promote ventilation. Bushes must be bound together to prevent it from chafing the newly applied paint. Again, repairs are necessary before the painting itself. Initially, you have to scrape all loose paint (use goggles to prevent paint chips from making contact with your eyes). Then wash, rinse and leave to dry (the house, yes, the whole exterior of the house.) Then the wood must be thoroughly inspected to fix damages due to rust, cracks, depressions and mildew growth. Re-caulk gaps and seams. Cracks must be filled, sanded then primed. Almost the same as the procedure in the interior painting repair. For the mildew, a simple bleach/water solution and a bit of elbow grease will do. Arrange and set all materials properly, particularly the ladder. We don’t want a wobbly ladder.

Then paint to your heart’s content. Remember, top to bottom, top to bottom.

If you encounter any problem, you can always ask a commercial painting contractor. And even if you hire a professional, you could still pick a brush and personalize your space. Learn by heart that 'It is not the form that dictates the color, but the color that brings out the form' -Hans Hofmann