If you're preparing to take on an interior painting project, you're probably trying to find ways to make the process faster and easier, but still get great results. Here, you'll find a few tips to help you plan and complete your interior painting project successfully.

Paint Selection

Before you can pick up new paint for your home, you'll have to find out what type of paint is already on the walls.

• Dip a cotton ball in rubbing alcohol.
• Rub the cotton ball on the wall.
• If the paint came off, the paint is latex and you'll be needing latex paint for the project.
• If the paint didn't come off, it is oil and you will need to use oil-based primer.

Now that you know what kind of paint you'll need, you need to choose the color and quality of paint. Not every paint is created equal. Some paints will require the application of primer and others have the primer built right into it.

Some paints are easy to keep clean and others are very difficult.

• High gloss paint shouldn't be used if the walls are blemished – only perfect walls will do well with high gloss paint as it will show every small blemish on the surface.
• Flat paint is very hard to clean, but will hide many of the blemishes.
• Semi-gloss and egg-shell paints are both good options for most homes. They finish smoothly, so you'll be able to wipe the walls easily and they won't show as many of the blemishes as the glossier paints will.

Prep Work

If you skip the prep work, you've failed before you've even begun.

Take the time to wipe down every surface that you'll be painting as well as the services that meet with it. Painting over dirty surfaces will not only make it difficult for the paint to adhere for the next several years, but it will cause the paint's finish to be rough as the dirt is pulled into the paint.

Cover floors, tape off the trim, and remove outlet covers. The more time you spend preventing the paint from getting on things that it shouldn't, the less time you'll spend cleaning up and the better the finished project will look.

Patch holes with compound and sand the patches smooth. Don't leave all of the holes in the walls. Just skim a thin coat of compound over them, let it dry, sand it smooth, coat with primer, and then paint.

If you don't feel that you can complete this project on your own, contact your local residential painting professional for assistance.