Brian Santos, book author and workshop presenter known as the Wall Wizard, suggests the following organizational system. For other great painting tips, check out his Web site, www.thewizardsworkshop.com.

As you disassemble the room, put all switchplates into a plastic bag. Remount screws in the fixtures so they don’t get lost or scratch the plates.

Separate hardware for each window, door, and curtain into its own bag. Label the locations by writing directly on the bag or on a piece of painter’s tape attached to the bag.

Put the smaller bags into a larger one marked with the room name. For safekeeping, tape it to a window.

Now it’s time to scrutinize the walls.