Painting the right way takes a certain level of precision and patience. Whether you’re an experienced DIYer or painting your first wall, you’ll want to take your time to consider everything that you need to properly complete your next painting project. Professional painters know a host of techniques to use to ensure that their work is done right and with the highest level of artistry. Want to know how to paint like a professional? Here are 5 painting tips and tricks to know.
Don’t skip out on quality.
Your paint job is only as good as the tools you use. You wouldn’t spend $200 on paint, only to spend $5 on brushes. In painting as in any home improvement project, you get what you pay for. High-quality brushes and rollers give a superior finish and provide an excellent level of coverage, so you don’t waste time on reapplication. Investing in painter’s tape as well is an important must-have so your paint job has that crisp, well-defined finished look.
Pick the right nap for your roller.
Painting a flat wall versus one with stucco requires two very different approaches. If you are painting a more textured wall, you’ll want to increase the nap on the roller so it can easily apply paint evening into each crease and crevice. But, painter beware. If you have too much nap on your roller, you may start to introduce texture that you don’t want to have.
Remove light switches and outlet covers.
Even with the most patient hand, getting paint on light switches and outlet covers is almost inevitable. To be safe and to give your finished paint job the best look possible, take the time upfront to remove these so they can stay as pristine (and the right color) as possible.
Good to Know
In painting as in any home improvement project, you get what you pay for so getting the best quality tools and materials is vital
Pros use primers.
If you already have a clean and smooth painting surface to work with, then going for a paint-primer combo is sufficient enough. However, if the wall has any wear and tear or if it’s been more than eight years since it had a fresh coat of paint, you’ll want to invest in a primer (not combined with paint).
Mix your paint all at once.
If you are buying more than one gallon of the same color paint, you can’t assume that the colors will be exactly identical. How the paint is mixed varies (even slightly) from gallon to gallon which can introduce small variations in color. To avoid this, combine all gallons of paint (assuming they are the same color) into one large container and mix that completely. This way you’ve created one consistent color that you can use without worry that there are slight differences in the shades.
Conclusion
Painting like a professional doesn’t take thousands of dollars. You’ll just want to take your time to prep and gather the right materials so you can complete your painting project with as few hiccups as possible.