When you decide it is time for a new coat of paint, whether you have moved into a new home or need a fresh new look, it can be exciting to pick colors, try them out, and make your final decision. Getting the new paint up onto the walls, though, can be a bit of a challenge. Here are some pro tips on how to get the best possible paint job if you choose to DIY!
Sand Blemishes Away
For a perfect paint job, you will need to have a smooth surface. Sometimes, old paint jobs have been done poorly, leaving the wall with imperfections where paint has dripped down. Other times drywall was not, and there are lumps or bumps, or a quick slapped on putty to cover up drywall holes. To fix this, you need to sand the walls down. Start at the baseboard and go to the ceiling by using fine-grit sandpaper. A sanding pole is a great tool to use so that you can avoid needing ladders. Be careful though, if you apply too much pressure while sanding, you can end up damaging your wall!
What to do with Textured Ceilings
When you have a textured ceiling in the room you are painting, it is going to be almost impossible to get a nice, clean, straight line at the edge of your wall and the ceiling. If you are lucky, then the person who installed a textured ceiling into your home left an inch or two running around the wall to make painting easier. If they did not though, then you can take a flat edge screwdriver and run it along the edge of the ceiling where it meets the wall. This scrapes away the textured part of the ceiling and will allow you to get a clean line on the wall.
One Wall at a Time
When you paint, do not do all of the trim, corners, and cutting in at once and then move on doing the rollers. To get seamless and streamline look, do what the pros do and paint only one wall at a time. Cut that wall in and paint it in its entirety before moving onto the next one. You will get much better results!
Use the Right Tools
Painting is a very messy activity. There is a reason painters have painting clothes. You need to protect your floors from paint splatters because it is hard to get off of floors and carpets. If you are using old bedsheets, note that thinner sheets will not protect against the paint leaking through and onto your floor. Canvas drop cloths are your best friend!
Wash Your Rollers Before Use
Before you grab a new roller, stick it on, and start painting, you want to wash the roller. This is because rollers have little flecks of fuzz on them. Washing them removes all the loose fluff so that it doesn’t end up painted onto your walls. No one wants that kind of texture on their freshly painted walls.
Consider Hiring the Pros
No matter what you do, if you paint your walls yourself, the results will never look like they do in a magazine. Hiring professionals is the way you want to go so that everything looks clean, fresh, and well put together. The team at Demiri’s Painting wants to make your house look picture perfect. Contact us today!