by Bob Formisano

Painting a room is one of the staples of home repair projects. We've all done it or will do it. However there is a bit of a process that should be followed to make the painting task come out looking it's best. Following these tips will also save you time in having to repaint areas of drip marks, roller splatter and excessive cutting in.

First, prepare the room to be painted as follows:

• Remove electrical cover plates on switches and outlets
• Remove window hardware (if they are to be painted) such as sash locks and handles
• Protect wall lighting fixtures or better yet, remove them
• Remove door knob and strike plate at the latch.
• Tape off the lock at the edge of the door;
• Protect furniture from paint and roller splatter with a plastic drop cloth;
• Protect the floor with a cloth or plastic drop cloth.

Second, the room's surfaces should be painted in this order:

1. If you are going to prime paint first, prime the ceiling first, then the walls and trim;
2. Finish paint the ceiling;
3. Finish paint the walls;
4. Finish paint the baseboard trim;
5. Finish paint the door and door trim
6. Finish paint the windows.

By following these simple tips your painting efforts will go a lot smoother!