2torial #0494: Learn2 Paint a Room (Continued) Pre-paint planning As with many home-improvement projects, the first tools you should use are a pencil and a piece of paper. Take ten minutes to plan what you'll do and what you'll need for the job. Unless you're Jackson Pollock, painting is an activity that doesn't take kindly to improvisation.   Calculate how much paint you'll need. Measuring each wall tells you how many square feet you need to cover. If a wall is 12 feet long, and eight feet high, that's 96 square feet to cover. (Don't forget the ceiling, either, if you plan to paint it.) Any paint manufacturer has the approximate "square-foot coverage per can" listed on the can.   Decide if you need a primer. Primers help paint adhere and cover uniformly. If you're painting over a white surface (assuming it's in good condition) with a darker color, you might be able to skip this step. Otherwise, plan on laying at least one layer of primer before painting with your final color. When tinted to match your final coat, excellent results are the norm. It might seem like extra work, but it's actually less work than laying on two additional final coats to insure opacity.   Choose the type of paint. Generally, flat latex is used for walls and ceilings, with semi-gloss latex or oil used on trim for contrast. Latex paint does not adhere well when used over old oil-based paint, so be careful with your choices.   Choose your brush. Use either a foam or bristle two-inch brush. Foam brushes leave less brushmarks, but they fall apart after only a little use. A good bristle brush that is well cleaned after each use can last many yearsStep 2