Painting interior drywall surfaces is one of the most manageable home improvement projects for DIYers.  In fact, painting the walls is fairly simple and quite self explanatory. However, there is a good deal of prep work that is necessary before you even begin to paint. If you have the right tools and supplies, along with proper application, you can make the rest of the paint job much easier. Most drywall interiors have a subtle texture, so they are best painted with a combination of rollers and brushes. This article lists the tools that are necessary for the prep work and explains how to best use them.

Use the Best Supplies and Tools

• Painter's Tape (2" or wider). You will need several rolls, depending on how much wall space you are painting.
• Painter's Plastic (4 mm or thinner). Sold in rolls that are up 100 ft. long.
• Rosin paper. Buy a full roll.
• Lightweight spackle paste.

Apply the Masking

First, you need to cover the floor with rosin paper. The rosin paper is like thick construction paper, and it can be cut with a utility knife or scissors. When covering your floors, it is best to be thorough and cover from wall to wall. Don't just cover the area right next to the wall (especially if you are going to paint the ceilings too). Also, be very liberal with the tape. Tape the rows of paper firmly to the ground and also to each other. You can even tape the paper to carpet quite effectively.

The painter's plastic is best for draping over furniture. You can also tape it across air registers, windows and ceiling fixtures.

Taping Like a Pro

To define your paint lines and ensure that they are clean, you need to use painter's tape. However, tape by itself might not do the job. The drywall texture can create small gaps beneath the tape that allow paint to seep through. You can fill these tiny gaps with your spackle. First, apply the tape and push it down very firmly. Wearing disposable latex gloves, you can spread the spackle over the line you are going to paint. Spread the spackle very thinly; you don't want any build up that will actually alter the texture of the wall. In effect, you will be pushing the spackle into the cracks and rubbing the rest away.

When it comes times to paint, you will have a perfectly sealed line to paint over. For more advice, speak with experts like Painting by University Painters.