10 Painting Tips You Need To Know

Purchase Quality Supplies.

When it comes to a quality paint job, don’t buy cheap brushes. The inexpensive plastic brush is not going to create a seamless look. Plus, the bristles will fall out. One of our favorite brushes to use is a 2 ½ inch angled brush. As far as paint, don’t cheap out there either. You want your paint to apply easily and be long lasting. When you purchase a quality paint, you’ll be able to wash away grubby stains without repainting. With quality paint brushes and paint, your entire job will be much simpler. If you need any recommendations, give a professional a call.

Protect Your Furniture.

This may seem obvious, but be sure to protect your furniture. If the furniture can’t be removed from the room, cover it! Move your furniture to the center of the room and cover it with plastic sheets. Tape the sheets around the bottom to keep them in place. This will keep your furniture free of paint splatters and dust from sanding.

Use A Primer.

You’ve filled your holes and patched your cracks, but if you paint directly over them you may run into some trouble. The compound will absorb the moisture out of the paint giving your wall a dull look. The spots will look different than the rest of the wall. This is why we recommend priming your wall before painting. Instead of white primes, try using a colored primer that is similar to the paint color you’ve chosen. Tinted primer helps cover existing color. Sometimes multiple layers of primer are necessary.

Tape Off Woodwork.

To avoid scraping paint off your woodwork at the end of your project, tape it off! Spend some time adhering tape to your woodwork before getting started. This will protect your woodwork from any paint bleeds. We recommend using the blue painter’s tape instead of masking tape. Masking tape can leave a sticky residue and a messy cleanup. Painter’s tape can be left for days and still easily peel off.

Get a Drop Cloth.

A bed sheet isn’t going to cut it. A thin sheet won’t protect your floor from splatters and spills seeding through to your floors. Plastic isn’t a good option either. The paint will stay wet for a long time and can easily end up on your shoes and get tracked through your home. The best option is canvas drop cloths. They aren’t slippery and they absorb paint splatters.

Paint One Wall At a Time.

You may be tempted to do all the corners and trim in a room first then go back to complete the rest of the wall. We do not recommend this method. If you take it one wall at a time you will create a more seamless look. This allows the brushed edges and rolled paint to blend together. When switching between brushing and rolling, make sure your paint and tools don’t dry out.

Scrape Your Windows.

It’s more than likely that you may end up with some paint on your windows. Once the paint dries, carefully scrape it off with a razor blade. The paint will easily peel off.

Wash Your Rollers.

No matter what kind of rollers you buy, you need to wash them before their first use. This will remove any fuzz that comes off as you’re painting. Wash them with water and a small amount of liquid soap. Run your hands along the rollers to pull off any loose fibers. You don’t need to wait for the rollers to dry before using them.

Wrap Your Rollers.

When you’re done painting for the day, soak your roller in paint and then tightly wrap it in a plastic bag. If you plan to paint again the next day, this will work. If it is going to be a while before you get back to the job, use the plastic bag to remove the roller so you avoid covering yourself in paint. You’ll want to use a new roller next time.

We know finding the time to tackles home projects is hard. We also know just how challenging it is to make your paint job look professionally done. Contact One Man & A Toolbox today for a quote or fill out the form below to request a service online.