Homeowner Tips

No matter what style you choose, color you pick, or finished look you desire, you always want the interior of your home to have the perfect finish.  One you are proud to show off.  The difference between professional painters and Do It Yourselfers is time.  While there is nothing wrong with the DIY attitude, professional painting contractors know how long it takes for the interior of your home to achieve the “WOW” factor, and are committed to the challenge.  Professional painters are realistic with their expectations.  Eager DIY’ers want to paint their entire house in a weekend.  This just isn’t a reality for most people.  Usually, you end up rushing and cutting corners to get finished in the time you allotted yourself, resulting in a less than perfect job.  To make sure you get the finished result you want, follow these simple preparation tips and take the time to make it right!

1)                  Prepare the room!  Remove everything from the walls and push all the furniture to the center of the room, or move out of the room entirely.  Also remove light switch and plug cover plates.  Save yourself the frustration with things getting in the way while you are trying to paint.  Getting aggravated and rushed is a sure way to ruin your paint job.

2)                  Fill all cracks and patch all holes in the wall.  When you remove a nail or screw, make sure to slightly push in the drywall so the rough edges of the hole are pushed in. This way when you patch the hole with spackle or putty, it will do a more thorough job of covering the hole.  This will result in a more professional finish.

3)                  Cover everything!  Even professional painters use drop clothes and plastic. If you have wet paint on a brush or roller nap you WILL spill some or drip at some point.  Why add extra cleanup or frustration for yourself?  Take the time to do it the right way.

4)                  Sand the entire wall completely.  Pay special attention to the freshly patched areas.  You are looking for a really smooth surface for the new paint to “bite” in to and adhere correctly.

5)                  Wash the walls.  Wipe them down with a moist towel.  You want to remove all the dust and any containment that might be on the walls before painting.  Who really wants dust and debris in their fresh paint?

6)                  Prime the bare spots.  Use a basic primer on any new Sheetrock or patched areas.  This will ensure a level and well adhered top coat over those areas.

7)                  Have your supplies ready!  Make sure you have all the materials you will need before you start painting: roller frames, roller naps, brushes, rags, step ladder, extra buckets or cups, paint, tape, vacuum, etc…

1. A side note on paint. Make sure you have ENOUGH! Example: a 15’X15’ room with 8’ walls has 480 sqft of wall surface.  A gallon of paint will roughly cover 250-325 sqft.  So for this size room you will need at least 2 gallons of paint.  If a color change is in the works, plan on needing more paint.   A little too much is better than not enough.

 

1. A side note on roller naps/brushes.  Spend the extra money to purchase quality materials.  Get a premium “no shed” roller nap.  It will cost a couple dollars more, but you will have a MUCH better finish.  Premium brushes cut in better and help the paint to level off more evenly while leaving minimal brush marks.  These simple upgrades will pay for themselves in satisfaction!

8)                  Make your lines crisp. If you’re uncomfortable with your cutting in ability, don’t be afraid to grab the tape!  Take the time to tape off things you don’t want to get paint on!  A professional painter can trim in around a door, window frames and crown molding without tape, but even the most seasoned professional painter will use tape when needed.

I know what you’re thinking… I have to do ALL this before I even pick up a paint brush?  If you want professional results, you have to take the time to make it happen or hire a professional like Custom Coatings Inc.  Unless you have prepared for success, you can plan on failure!  Next time we will talk about actual painting techniques and types of paint for different applications!