Painting Tips for Kids' Rooms

Selecting Paint:
The best paint finishes for children's walls are satin, semi-gloss or eggshell indoor latex paint. Smudges of dirt will wipe right off the wall paint with a damp cloth and some mild soap. You might be able to get away with a flat paint, but only in a room where the child will primarily be sleeping and not playing.

Quality of wall paint tends to vary significantly by price and brand. Ask the customer service person who mixes your paint which brand provides the best coverage. It can make the difference between applying one coat or multiple coats.

Make sure to get a couple stir sticks and paint pan liner while you're at the paint store, and pick up any brushes you will need.

Selecting Brushes:
Everyone has their preferences on brush type; my personal favorites are paint pads or rollers. A couple handy specialty brushes are paint pads designed for corners and one for going around trim. The trim paint pad has rollers along the top that act as spacers so that you don't get paint on the trim or ceiling. This has saved me a ton of time in eliminating touch ups.

Prep Work:
Your painting project will go more smoothly if the proper preparation is taken before painting.
•Remove all the electrical covers and switch covers and window treatments.
• Move furniture to the center of the room and cover with sheets or completely out of the area.
•Tape ceiling, baseboards and other trim with low tack masking tape specially designed for painting (blue in color and available at all home improvement stores).
•Set out drop cloths to protect floors. One of my favorite "drop cloths" isn't a cloth at all; I like to use large pieces of cardboard on the floor because they sit flush against the wall without bunching up, and my paint pan and ladder can slide along them.
•Get all the supplies you need ready and located in one area.

Painting:
Now that you're organized, get ready to paint. I find that the best coverage happens when I first paint an X about 2' wide and fill in the area by making horizontal strokes across the X. Then move to the next adjacent area.

Remove the masking tape around baseboards and trim before the paint dries. This prevents the tape from lifting/peeling away paint that has overlapped both the wall and the tape.

Clean Up:
Water based latex and acrylic paints are easily cleaned up. Use water to rinse brushes thoroughly and the water runs clear. You can rinse the paint pan, or just toss the pan liner into the garbage.

Drips on hardwood floors or trim may be able to be gently scraped or washed away if the paint is still soft. Drips on carpet are tougher to remove, but you can attempt to get them out with soap and water, carpet cleaner or OxyClean and some elbow grease!

Drying Time:
Most indoor latex paints will be dry but still have a soft, tacky feel after a couple hours. Wait to paint a second coat until the last coat loses that tacky feeling.

The paint should be completely dry in 24 hours. You can then finish the clean up and enjoy your painted room or continue painting with a WallNutz Mural!

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