All your decorative painting needs found at the Gaunt Studios, your Maryland & Virginia painter.

Painting Projects "Steps to painting after choosing your painting project that bring the best results."

The first step is to get all the supplies that will be used to complete your painting project. A list of items needed: drop clothes, plastic, tape, sandpaper, mud knives and tray, compound, or easy sand, paint tray, roller cover & handle, paint brush, cleaning cloth, ladder.

• Make sure to cover your floor with the drop cloth, and the pieces of furniture with plastic.
• Remove all plates from light switches and plug plates, replacing the screws where they are taken from so as to not lose them, tape the outlets to keep them clean from paint.
• Go over your walls with a 10” knife scaping them to knock off the high spots, using your hand to run over the wall and make sure they are smooth to the touch. Using a pencil to lightly mark any spots that need to be filled.
• Now using the compound that is ready to use, or the easy sand that has to be mixed, but dries faster, fill the areas needed.
• While they dry, sand your trim, doors, frames, base, crown molding, then the wall areas that were filled if dry.
• Clean all areas with a damp sponge to remove the dust, leaving dust on the surface will cause seperation between the new paint ( does this sound better?) Much better! being applied. Not allowing the new paint to bond with the old surface.
• Then vacuum the floor space removing all dust from the room.
• If there is a lot of sanding to be done, you might want to cover the door areas that come into the room with plastic, so as to keep the dust in the room and not let it filter to the other rooms.
• Start with your ceiling first cutting the ceiling in around the room with a 2 1/2" brush overlaping only 1/4" onto the wall. This will give you a nice cut- in line for your wall color, then roll out the ceiling, using a 9" roller cover with a 3/8” nap or thickness, repeat this again for your second coat.
• Now the walls, you can cut in the walls to the ceiling using a 2 1/2" brush as well. Cut in your ceiling line first, then your corners, and then around the top of your base.
• Then work your roller and paint around the room, after finishing the first coat, start the second.
• After your second coat is finished then comes the trim. Cutting in the trim with your color in semi gloss using the same procedure and appling two coats, you can use a smaller brush than the 2 1/2" if it is easier to use.
• Then stand back and admire your handy work feeling good about your project, and it’s time to move on to your next room. Preparation is the key, and is 95%, then the other 5% is your painting, faux finishes or wallpapering. If you get the 95% right your project will be “The apple of your eye”.