Walls and Ceilings - Need help with trim/baseboard & walls

I am having the popcorn ceilings removed and retextured starting Monday and will have to do the painting myself after he is done. How long to wait until it is all dry, just doing a simple skip trowel texture?

After the painting, I am having hardwood floors installed and am confused as to what color goes on what but will have just a few short days to finish painting before the floors go in!

Aren't the baseboards and the door trims all supposed to match? I want them white and the walls white and the ceiling white (I know so boring!) Right now they are a mix with the baseboards small dark wood and some of the doors were painted a shiny white and some are a matte buttery white. The shiny ones are scuffed up and look bad. The floor installer will bring me the preprimed baseboards so I can paint it before he installs it. I know I will have to do some touch up-seems better than painting it all after it is on because it is around 300 feet or so!)

What type of paint do I get for the walls and ceilings? Should they be the same white color? What is the best type of paint for the baseboards and the door frames? I have kids so I prefer it all be washable if that is possible and don't like the shiny finish so I should pick satin right, not gloss? Can I just paint over what is there now or do the frames need to be sanded to take the new paint? Is there some type of filler or patch to fix up the gouges in the few places on the door frames (looks like someone hit it moving a piece of funiture.) I have no idea what type of paint is already on there, latex or oil or ?Thanks in advance!

The color of the baseboards fall into the personal preference file. However, I like the baseboards and door trim to match. Use a good primer and a semi-gloss paint for them.
You can paint over the ceiling the next day, usually. Check with the installer to see what they recommend.
Paint for the walls???Here, again, personal preference. You don't like shiny, but want it washable. Best of two worlds. Satin is ok, but only moderately washable/scrubable.

Thanks Larry, I did not know I had to prime the already painted trim and door frames! I am so glad I asked!! I am lazy and I saw these small rollers sold for painting trim making it look easy. Do they really work? When I select the rollers for the walls, is the "nap" just a personal preference or are they designed for specific purposes? Sorry I am a novice and have only painted a few times but never at my OWN house-lol!

Is this the correct order for my painting; ceiling, then trim and then walls? Should I invest in a sprayer? I have 4 big rooms to paint and a long hallway plus the ceilings. If I buy a sprayer, I could use it for painting the outside of the house this summer too but then would probably never want to see it again-lol. Do you know one to recommend that would not be too costly but still reliable?

Again, thanks for your help Larry!

There is a sticky at the top of the painting forum that tells how to determine if you have oil base or latex paint. Pre painted wood doesn't always have to be primed. If it is currently oil base enamel it needs no primer if you stay with oil base base but if you wish to convert to latex it does. Any repairs made to the woodwork will need priming. It is usually best to use painter's putty for repairs although some may be easier done with spackling.

Depending on heat, air circulation and humidity the new texture should be dry with in 4 hrs but it would be best to allow 24 hrs for it to dry. Adding wet paint to fresh texture can soften it back up. You can use most any white latex paint for the ceiling although you might find a ceiling white a little more forgiving on application.

Roller naps are chosen dependent on the material and surface. The rougher the wall/ceiling the bigger the nap should be. A larger nap also holds more paint. You will probably want a 3/4" or 1/2" nap for the ceiling, 3/8" or 1/2" for the walls. If you have flush doors and wish to roll them - use 1/4" A larger nap can be used on the doors IF you 'tip out' the paint - roll it on and then use a brush to lightly brush out the roller stipple.

Usually the better quality paints will both apply and wear better than their cheaper counterparts. It is hard to find quality coatings at big box [they go for low price] Also the better the brush and roller cover is the easier/better the job will be.

I wouldn't recomend buying an airless [sprayer] It takes awhile to learn how to correctly use one [mistakes can be hard work to correct :eek:] and since overspray can really travel, you need to cover up everything - even adjoining rooms. For 1-2 time use it is better to rent a decent sprayer than to buy a cheapie.

Marksr is right. I was assuming you were working with new raw wood. Preprimed or painted wood would need no priming prior to painting. I usually set up saw horses or a series of 5 gallon sheetrock buckets up and paint with a brush. But, again, Marksr is one of our paint gurus, so heed his advice. I am a nail driver and hate to paint.