Wish you knew the secrets to
being a pro painter? We can’t give all of our tricks away, but we’d love to
pass on a few to you. These tips are especially useful if you’re interested in
painting just one room in your home. If you have a bigger job or would rather
leave it to the real professionals, then feel free to give us a call. And
now—on to prepping your paint space!
Tip #1 Clear the Space
Any good professional painter
knows that a good quality drop cloth is essential for any interior painting
job. Leaving this step out of your painting process may make your new project
unnecessarily frustrating. Without a drop cloth, you’ll most likely have to
scrub away paint that has dried permanently on your floors, tiles or carpet.
It’s also important to clear the room of any furniture or other items. It’s
easy for drywall dust or paint to land on a lifetime of family treasures.
Tip #2 Spackle Up
Before painting, inspect your
walls for bumps, cracks and other imperfections. Spackle up any cracks or dents
you see. If your walls are mostly uneven, consider smoothing them down with a
drywall pole sander. For wood, use a two-part wood filler to fill in any gaps
you may have. Be careful when applying painter’s tape to your walls. Make sure
you don’t paint under the tape – it may cause bleeding. When you’re ready to
reveal your new wall color, make sure to take off the tape carefully. If you
wait too long, the paint could become stuck to the tape and tear off during
removal, leaving you with an ugly gap on your wall.
Tip #3 Choose Paint that Lasts
Many people go for latex primers
when re-painting the interior of their home, but if you want a primer that will
work on almost any surface, go for an alcohol or alkyd primer. If you pick a
glossy paint for your walls, be aware that glossy paint is more likely to
reveal imperfections made during a paint job. Try not to skimp on the price of
your paint, either. You’ll want your wall paint to last as long as possible, so
you won’t have to go through the process all over again. Enjoy your new paint
job and don’t forget to give us a call if you need to call in the experts!