When painting the interior of a home, it’s best to head off potential problems before they occur. You can avoid such problems by planning ahead. The last thing you need in the middle of a paint job is to realize that you’ve made a mistake or misjudged the time or the effort that it takes to do it yourself.
Avoid making mistakes when painting the interior of a home
Thinking ahead and anticipating problems before they arise is always recommended before painting for do-it-yourselfers. Whether a first timer or an expert, you can achieve expert looking results if you know what to watch out for. Following are a few tips to ensure that your efforts are a success.
Tip #1: Always test out a sample of your customized paint on the wall before you buy several gallons or more. Apply at least a 1 ft.² sample of that paint on the wall and then view it in different types of light, from natural morning sunshine to lamplight at night. This will ensure that the paint not only looks the way you expected it to regarding shade, but that it will look the way you want it to 24/7.
Tip #2: When using a paint roller, do your best to keep that roller away from your ceiling, whether it’s acoustic tile, ‘popcorn’ or shiplap or textured drywall. Bumping the ceiling requires added clean-up time. A good way to avoid making such a mistake is to roll a coat of new paint horizontally as close to the ceiling or crown molding as you can get. Taping off crown molding also prevents accidents. The same rule applies when you’re using a paint roller near flooring, carpeting, or baseboard molding.
Tip #3: Speaking of ceilings, you can paint over a popcorn or textured ceiling with the use of a paint roller, but test a small area first. This test will give you an indication of how well the ceiling will take a new coat of paint. Some older ceiling textures don’t hold up well to rollers, and it may be best to remove the popcorn or textured ceiling before painting.
Tip #4: When using a brush on any surface, use long, even strokes. Repeating brushwork over the same area contributes to visible ridges and brush marks, especially if the paint has grown sticky, which it can do within even a few minutes. Instead, make sure that you have an adequate amount of paint on the brush and cover the area as quickly as possible while still maintaining control of long, smooth brush strokes.
Tip #5: For the best results, avoid painting in dim or low light, as you may not be able to see imperfections until you turn those lights on. It’s best to have adequate amounts of light when painting. Before you put those paints away, check the walls in numerous types of light, from early morning to bright afternoon to nighttime lamps to ensure that you’re satisfied with the results. If you are in the market for an Indianapolis interior painter, give All Pro Painting a call in the Indianapolis area.
