A good prep job often takes more time than painting, but it pays off. The more time you spend prepping a room for new paint, the better your finished paint job will look. Washing, patching, sanding and vacuuming walls, ceilings, trim and doors before you pick up a brush or roller are time well spent. If you don't take care of small imperfections now, they'll stick out like a sore thumb once the paint goes on.

Arthur Barfield