I'm going to be painting the interior walls (not ceiling) of a two-car garage. Looks like it's just flat white paint right now (you can tell I'm a DIY expert can't you?). From searching around and watching videos, these are the steps I'm going to be taking but I think I'm missing a few things and could use the help/advice of someone who's actually done a paint job before. I've bolded my specific questions to make it easier:Clearing: Remove as much stuff as possible from the garage (including the cars!)Filling holes: Fill in any nail holes with spackle (need to figure out what type though) using a putty knife, and sand it down using 220 grit sandpaper to make it evenly flat with the rest of the wall.Clean the walls: mix 2 tablespoons of TSP (trisodium phosphate) into 2 gallons of water, and wipe down the walls. Then use a microfiber tack cloth or a swiffer dry sweeper (I don't want the mess of the sticky tack cloths).Do a quick vacuum of the ground and put down drop sheets with blue painters tape.Choosing the type of paint: I'm going to use latex paint (because oil paint tends to have a higher amount of VOCs which I'd like to avoid). Question: how can I tell what kind of paint is currently on there? If it currently has an oil paint I assume I'll need a primer. If it's currently latex paint already, should I still use a primer or not bother?Choosing the paint finish: Since it's a garage, I assume it will get pretty dirty and maybe wet (due to weather conditions, or the water hose splashing, etc.) so I'm thinking semi-gloss finish because I read it's easy to clean without having the paint come off (or should I use a gloss finish?) I'm also going to try and find a paint that has the "green seal". Question: is the green seal legitimate? As in, does it actually make a difference or is it just something that corporations have stuck on there to make them sound better?Painters tape or not: So I'm a little stuck here. There are no decorative elements on the walls but there are wire shelves. I assume I should remove the wire shelves before painting. What about the side bars of the wire shelves? Also, I'll have to avoid getting paint on the ceiling. I read about "cutting in" but I does that apply to "wall-to-ceiling" scenarios? Or only to "avoiding-decorative-elements" scenarios? Is there anything special I need to do to avoid painting the ceiling? Should I use painters tape?After priming, start painting the edges of a wall with a brush. Question: do I need a sash brush or is it just a nice-to-have?Use a 9-inch roller with 1/4" nap with one of these types of frames. I'll either get a ladder or one of these extender things, to paint the rest of the wall. Repeat steps 7 and 8 for each wall.Let it try, and remove painters tape if I used any. Store paint and wash brush/roller.And that's it! I think. via /r/DIY http://ift.tt/2tsiQmh
