10 Tips to Paint Like a Pro
Painting is not an easy task, but if you know how to do it, it makes the job more pleasurable. In this article, we will give you 10 trade tips to help you get the job done right. For a professional-looking paint job, do what the experts do.
1. Best wait for dry weather.
If you encounter humidity, you will experience drips and slow drying, so it’s better to avoid painting on a rainy day. However, if you have to paint when it’s humid, we recommend you to take your time and take advantage of slow-drying paint to correct any errors before applying the next coat.
2. Inspecting and preparing the surface properly.
Cracked, flaking, or peeling areas must be lightly sanded or scraped, then wiped clean before applying the primer and paint. We do this because the weight of the new coat will pull the old paint loose. Grease spots may also need to be washed with soap and then rinsed with clean water. Give the walls a quick wipe-down with a wet cloth so that paint will have a clean, dust-free surface to stick to.
3. Use high-quality roller covers, brushes, and painter’s tape.
Using good brushes and roller covers will you give excellent coverage so that you don’t have to waste time re-applying the paint, and good quality painter’s tape works the best when it comes to sealing out drips and blurs.
4. Know the nap you are using.
If you have more texture your walls, you will need a thicker nap on your roller cover so that it can reach into the crevices and give complete coverage. However going too thick with the nap, you might actually create unwanted texture on your surface, so be prepared to tell your salesperson details about what you’re painting.
5. Protect anything you don’t want paint on.
Make sure you spend on covering floors, furniture, and hardware before you begin a paint project. You will not regret it. Drop cloths are necessary, and plastic bags secured with tape are a simple way to protect doorknobs.
6. Remove outlet covers and light switches.
You may be tempted to skip this step, but for a pristine finish, don’t take short cuts.
7. Use a primer.
Paint/primer combinations are good if you already have a clean, smooth surface, however if there are any imperfections with the wall or it’s been more than seven years since you last painted, definitely go with a separate primer. If you need to paint a challenging surface (glass or high-gloss paint), use a bonding primer.
8. Box your paint.
Let our salespeople help you with a realistic estimate of how much paint you will need so that you can buy it all at once. Then, instead of using small amounts at a time, combine all the paint into one container and mix it thoroughly. This is known as “boxing” your paint, and it keeps your colour consistent.
9. Let the roller do the work.
Our premium paints flow on easily, and if you have gone with the good roller cover, you can’t go wrong. Using an extension pole will help you reach those hard to get places, without straining your back.
10. Paint from top to bottom.
Once you have cut in your edges at the ceiling and baseboard/floor using a brush, you can now use you roller to apply your paint from the ceiling to the floor. Amateurs will have drips and spatters at the end of a paint job, but pros will paint over their mistakes as they work their way down the wall. When an area starts to dry, leave it alone, as going back over it can leave marks and colour streaks in the paint’s surface.