While having a professional painting crew to tackle a full house painting job is nice, there will be times when you just want a new color on a single wall or in a small bedroom. Hiring a painting service may not seem worth it to you on one of these small projects. But if you have never picked up a paint roller, you may want to know where to start and how to do a good job on the first try. Following these five basic tips that every homeowner should know when painting an interior room should get you off to a good start.
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Buy good quality supplies. The quality of paint, rollers, and brushes that you use have a big impact on the actual job of painting the room as well as the finished product. Good quality paint covers well, so you don’t have to put multiple coats on it. Poor quality rollers can leave fuzz on your painted walls making them look messy.
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Take time to prep your room. Before you begin painting, prep the room by filling in any nail holes with caulk and use painters tape to line windows and baseboards so you won’t get paint in unintended places. Make sure any holes or indentions in the wall are repaired before starting. There are kits for making minor repairs like this at your local hardware store.
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Cut in first. When you use a brush to paint the perimeter of a wall, it is called cutting in. You should do this first and then begin rolling the walls. Cutting in can take a long time but it is worth it to take your time so you don’t have to go back and fix the edge later. Also, be sure to load up your brush or roller with paint instead of having just a little at a time. You don’t want to paint with a slightly dry roller or brush.
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Keep a wet rag with you while you paint. There will be times when you get a drip or a swipe of paint on a surface you did not intend to paint. Having a wet rag with you to clean up the mistakes is much easier than trying to remove the paint after it has dried.
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Cover your paint and supplies if you need to take a break. Because paint it wet, you don’t want it drying out while you aren’t using it. This can make your paint thick and hard to use. You will have to throw away your good quality brush and roller because the paint makes it dry like a rock. Always have a damp towel covering your paint bucket when you aren’t pouring new paint into your tray. If you need to take a break, cover your brush and roller with plastic so that no air gets into it. This will keep it from drying out. Once your job is complete, thoroughly washing out your brush is important so that it is ready for your next project. You can try to wash out your roller as well but it is hard to get a roller back to its original softness after being used.
If you are needing help with a bigger painting project or if you decide you would rather not attempt the smaller ones either, give D&D Painting a call if you live in Northern California today.
