You might want an aluminum trim tool and diagnol brush for edge work. The
trim tool looks like a slat from a venetian blind with a handle. Keep the
back of it clean and use mininal paint at the edges.


"Mark and Gloria Hagwood" wrote in message
news:7pvbg.27049$QP4.558@fed1read12...
wrote:
Do I wait for the first coat of paint to completely dry before I put on
the second coat? Would this take a few hours, or should I wait a day?

I'd separate the first and second coats by at least a half day, if it's
dry outside and the humidity is low. Open a window and let some air in to
speed things up. If you have three rooms to paint anyway, just move on to
the next room. What has not been said is that you should use a 1/4" nap
roller or even a foam one if the walls are smooth. The shorter the nap,
the better coverage you'll have. I'd not fool with a tinted primer- use
two coats of paint. Figure about 400-500 sf per gallon for the two coats.
You'll probably use a bit more on the first coat and less on the second.

If you're a novice, mask off the important stuff. Use the blue tape and
remove it while the second coat is fresh. If the paint sticks a tad, use
a razor knife to get a clean "cut edge" against the tape as you peel it
off. I also recommend getting many of the cheap, disposable 9 X 12
Visqueen drops and taping them down to keep spatters off the floor,
radiators, cabinets etc. It's cheap, and you'll thank yourself. Painting
is 25% of the job, the rest is preparation. For goodness sake, remove the
cover plates from the plugs and switches and tape over the switch and
receptacles. It's also a good time to buy new cover plates- it really
makes a job look spiffy.


And when I'm applying the second coat, do I cut in around the edges and
walls first with a brush, like I'm planning to do with the first coat
of paint?

Yes- cut in first with a brush for each coat, then roll out the rest.
Don't fiddle around with a "pump-type" roller. Just get a good 12" roller
and pan from the paint store. The roller cover is most important, so get a
good one with the shortest nap that will fill any voids. With the high
ceilings, you'll also thank yourself if you get a roller extension handle.
It's also time to invest in a 6' step ladder, if you don't have one. Keep
a lot of paint in the roller and roll SLOWLY to reduce spatter. With a
full roller, roll about a foot beyond the last paint, then blend it back
into the wet paint. Finally, roll out everything for about 3' again-
slowly and avoid any lines of paint build-up by rolling again when the
roller is out of paint.

Or should I just use a roller the second time around and
paint as close to the edges as possible (would that cause lines to
appear between the first and second coats around the edges because I
didn't cut in)?

Don't do that. Do it right- cut in each coat and roll out the rest. When
you cut in, I never use less than a 3" brush and generally use a good 4"
one- except for tight spaces. Use a good tipped and flagged artificial
bristle brush with a water based paint. My typical cut-in is about 3" or
more. Be aware of how your roller will "fit" into the corner, around the
window and down around the baseboard.


Apologies for the ignorant novice questions; I've never painted before.
I tried asking the sales clerk at the paint store for advice about
these details, but he more or less doesn't know (and unfortunately,
doesn't care, either).


That's a shame. If you're paying $42 a gallon for BM paint, you should
expect to get good advice at the store.

Mark