we need to paint a few rooms and I have never painted much before. Are there any hints and tips of how to do it?

Take your time with taping and laying down plastic or a drop cloth...the hardest part of painting and the most time consuming is the preparation :)

BUT....it saves time in the long run...

Take the kiddies to grandma and wear a mask open windows and drink lots of water !

Hope this helps :)

:ditto:

and use primer

I agree with the above- also, when you use a roller, roll in a "w" pattern, not up and down. Also, spend the extra $$ and buy the blue painters tape for trimming - masking tape will pull the old paint right off the walls. We just painted our entire house- every single room- and it was actually lots of fun! Play music and have a drink or two while you work ;) Have fun!! :)

Do edges, corners, etc first. Buy an edger. Don't let it sit on the wall too long before rolling over a little section of it afterward. Get the best paint you can afford. It makes a huge difference. Tint your primer to a shade near your top coat color.

If you are going to use a dark color or a color you are not quite sure of buy a quart and try it out first. It is well worth the extra money to be sure of the color.

High quality paint is well worth the money. It goes on better, cleans up easier and looks good longer. We like Sherwin Williams, added bonus is they carry a low odor paint - Harmony. Also buy a great brush, well worth the extra expense.

Don't use flat with kids, way too hard to clean up. Use Satin or Semi gloss. Use a glossier finish in the bathrooms an kitchen.

The best way to cover the floors is with a roll of brown contracters paper an masking tape. It covers well an stays put! You can get a pretty large roll for $8 at Home Depot.

For edges get a sponge on rollers, most places sell these an they make clean edges amazingly easy.

Go ahead and paint the ceiling if it has not been one in a while, makes the room look much nicer.

We just finishe our whole house, what a great feeling :)

Yes, use the blue masking tape, it works well. Then here is a link (if you are interested) in safe and natural interior paint! :) it's 99% food grade ingredients!

http://www.annasova.com/sections/wallfinish/default.asp

:ditto:

and use primer

Yeah, we learned this the hard way. lol

PAINT BAREFOOT! Seriously, that way if you step in it you know it...from the one who stepped in paint and tracked it across 2 rooms before I noticed :D

PAINT BAREFOOT! Seriously, that way if you step in it you know it...from the one who stepped in paint and tracked it across 2 rooms before I noticed :D

Someone here once said she added a little vanilla extract to the paint.

If you can swing it, it's very nice to paint the ceilings at least two shades lighter than the color you're using on the walls. We did that in every single room (and every room is a different color), and it looks fantastic.

Have plenty of rollers, brushes and trays on hand. For corners between walls and ceilings, we never tape, because the paint tends to seep under the tape and give you a raggedy edge. Instead, we suck it up and get up there with a really precise brush and slooooowly paint a straight line. Not always easy, but worth it. You can always touch up when it dries.

I really like the satin finish. It's just the right sheen, not too flat but not all shiny either. Oh, and if you're painting over bright white walls or bright white primer, you may need more paint than you think to get good, even coverage. Bright white is the hardest thing to paint over, imo.

IFor corners between walls and ceilings, we never tape, because the paint tends to seep under the tape and give you a raggedy edge. Instead, we suck it up and get up there with a really precise brush and slooooowly paint a straight line. Not always easy, but worth it. You can always touch up when it dries.

:agreed: we also found this to be true, but I also used a large putty knife to protect the ceiling from accidental marks as I painted.