Interior Painting Tips for House Painting in Pleasant Hill
Home improvement tricks and “hacks” are increasing over the Internet, including interior house painting in Pleasant Hill tips.
Whether you’re going to paint for the first time or the nth time, it’s good to gather helpful interior painting tips. The more knowledge you have, your job will be faster and more efficient.
Remember that the best painters, even professional ones, had to start somewhere. But with these techniques, you can quickly improve your house painting skills.
1) Buy quality paints
If you want the paint job to hold up for a long time (and don’t want to bother with repainting), it should be in the quality of paints you’ll buy.
When you see an advertisement for cheap paint and another paint that’s five times the price, what sets them apart other than the price? It’s the quality.
Cheap paints are typically builder-grade paints with fewer solids than premium paints. These solids make these premium paints create a good build and a thick formulation, resulting in a solid and uniform coating when applied to the surface.
Thus, premium paints require fewer coats than cheap but low-quality paints. Premium paints are indeed several times costlier than inferior paints. But because of their quality, they give a solid and long-lasting finish, saving you money down the road.
2) Use the right primer
Use a latex (water-based) primer to apply to new drywall since new drywalls absorb a lot of paint. In such cases, a primer is necessary because it functions as a barrier to prevent the topcoat from being absorbed by porous surfaces, such as new drywall.
3) Use a stirrer to mix paints
It probably sat on the shelves for a long time, whether old or new paint. The components may have separated to the point where you must mix the paint to get it back into shape. If you’re using a wooden rod or paddle, drill holes in it. These holes function as an aerator that allows the paint to distribute its components evenly.
Or secure any mixing attachment to your regular drill to stir the paint faster and more evenly.
4) Clean the walls before painting
Many DIY home painters make the mistake of forgetting or skipping to clean walls before proceeding to paint. But painting on a dirty, dusty, or oily surface will result in several problems, such as chipping or peeling.
Dust the walls with a clean, damp rag. For kitchen walls covered with dust, oil, and grime, clean them with a mild detergent. You can also use a deglosser or heavy-duty cleaner to eliminate the more stubborn dirt. After cleaning, allow time for the surface to dry completely before proceeding to your next step.
5) Use only painter’s tape
Don’t ever think of using any other adhesive tapes. Painter’s tape is specifically designed for painting homes and commercial buildings. It sticks firmly to the surface, preventing the paint from seeping under its edges, but it is easy to peel off. It also doesn’t fade even when it comes in contact with latex (water-based) paints.
You can use painter’s tape as much as you need to the edge of all surfaces, like the junction between walls and ceilings, to protect them from paint.
If you have to remove the painter’s tape after painting, don’t do it too early as it will cause the paint to leak and drip, but not too late either as it could leave dried and cracked paint residues behind.
6) Paint from top to bottom
When painting, you should work from the top of the room down to the floor, starting as close to the ceiling as possible. If you include the ceiling, start with the ceiling before moving to the walls to the bottom.
7) Keep a wet edge to prevent overlap marks
If you’re using the rolling method, the last thing you’ll ever want to see is ugly overlapping marks. While rolling the paint onto the surface, maintain a wet edge and work slightly away from that damp edge to eliminate these overlapping marks. Thus, you must keep close attention to maintain a wet edge as you roll.
This tip applies only when using paints with gloss or sheen. But if you’re using flat or matte paints, there’s little chance of creating overlap marks.
8) Clean up mistakes while the paint is still wet
Mistakes happen. Suppose an errant brushstroke touches the painted surface, don’t panic. If the paint hasn’t dried yet, it’s not too late to correct the mistake. Use a clean and damp cloth to wipe the still-wet paint off the surface. Make sure to clump the damp cloth to your palm (almost like a ball) to avoid touching the wet baseboard.
Good interior house painting in Pleasant Hill skills can save you money and time. It can also give you the confidence to try new things and allow you to create a space you can truly call your own.