Put pads underneath any heavy furniture items before you move them to prevent scuffing up your floors.
Cover outlets or openings with duct tape or electrical tape to keep dust and wood shavings from flying into sensitive areas. You can use a thick pillow instead of kneepads if you want.
Even if your wood doesn’t have a varnish or enamel on it, you still need to sand it at least once to soften the wood for painting. The paint won’t dry into the porous wood if it hasn’t been lightly sanded. You should see the wood get visibly lighter after sanding if the wood was covered in a varnish or stain.
You have to buy special sheets of sandpaper to fit a belt or orbital sander. Even if you plan on using an orbital or belt sander, you’ll need to sand the edges near the corners and side of the wall by hand. If you still see a layer of finish or varnish after your first sanding, sand the entire floor a second time with 220-grit sandpaper.
If your paint didn’t come with a mixing stick, you can use any thin object to mix it. If your screwdriver is long enough, you can use that and wipe it off after you’ve mixed the primer.
You can use a nylon or natural brush to apply your primer. It may be easier if you use an angled brush, but it’s not mandatory.
Cover each section that you’re rolling 2-3 times by rolling over it repeatedly. This will ensure that every section of the porous wood absorbs some primer.
Sweep the room with a broom and then vacuum it after sanding.
Darker colors will show dirt and scuff more easily. They also make a room feel smaller by absorbing light. Lighter colors tend to make rooms look bigger and are easier to clean. White is a popular option for kitchens, since it’s easier to clean.
Painter’s tape won’t be effective at stopping paint if you don’t press it down along the entire surface. Painter’s tape won’t damage your wall like normal tape, so don’t worry about the paint on the baseboard, wall, or quarter-round getting pulled off.
You can use a thick-napped roller instead if you want even more variety in your texture.
Cover each part of your floor with 3-4 strokes before moving on to a different section to ensure that it’s fully covered.
You may not want to apply any additional layers if you’re going for a more worn-down or textured look. The more layers you add, the more uniform your paint job will be.
