5 Great Painting Tips for First Time Decorators
Whether you are getting ready to offer your home for sale and need to spruce and stage it up a little or are beginning to decorate your brand-new home your way you probably know that a coat of paint or two can work wonders.
The fact is that the right ‘paint job’ can make a room look bigger, add warmth – or cool – depending upon the chosen color pallet, enliven a dull décor scheme or neutralize a bad one and much more.
To lots of people who have never done it before, painting the interior of their home can sound like it is going to be the easiest thing in the world to do. That is before they give it a try and discover, after a few hours and a lot of grief that it is not quite as simple as they thought it might be!
However, if you keep the following tips in mind you should be able to do a great job and end up with a room that looks professionally painted and not with one that looks like an army of toddlers got their hands on a set of paintbrushes!
Choose the Right Day to Paint – Believe it or not the weather can make a big difference to the success of your paint job even if you are painting indoors. If the weather outside is wet or humid the moisture will prevent the paint from drying properly so wait for a nice dry day to begin your painting project if possible.
For outdoor painting autumn and spring are the best times to paint; it’s not too hot and not too cold and it can be an almost pleasant weekend pastime. Indoor painting can technically be undertaken at almost any time, but if you choose a cold day make sure that you can stand to have the windows open for a few hours to ventilate your space properly.
Gather the Right Tools – There is more to painting than simply buying a can of paint (or three) and a couple of rollers. Here is a basic checklist you can take to the home store with you when gathering your supplies:
Important items for your supply list include:
Primer Paint Stir sticks Paint rollers Roller covers Small paint brushes, for odd nooks and crannies or touch-ups Paint trays, and if needed a sturdy holder for your paint tray Painters tape Rags Drop cloths Depending on the project and surface: Sandpaper Tacky cloth to remove any sanding dust Painters putty Putty knife
If you will be scaling a ladder to paint make sure that it’s a good, sturdy one and never climb up alone, have a spotter on the ground who can step in to help keep you safe if necessary.
Cover Things Up – Before you even take the lid off the paint can take the time to cover up and protect all the things that you do not want to paint – like your furniture and the floor!
Primer Comes First – Too many people skip primer because they want to save time – and money – but that can be a big mistake. Not only does a primer coat create a better surface to paint on in general but it also helps the true color of the paint show through.
Take Your Time – Rome was not built in a day and your bedroom probably cannot be painted in an hour, not if you want to do a half decent job anyway.
Take your time and work your way across the room slowly and steadily. if you want to save time use a roller not a paintbrush but other than that prepare yourself for the fact that you are probably going to be painting all day.