Painting Tips you can use

Top House Painting Tips For Beginners

By Kenneth D. Rader-  Ken Rader Interiors L.L.C.

After watching some home makeovers, you would definitely notice that redefining the interior color of any residence gives it a fresh and comfortable look. Consequently, homeowners get the itch to do the same. Those who cannot hire professionals for the task, search for house painting tips which can get them carry on with the task by themselves. Do you want to give this a try as well? Learn from the following insights.

1. Cover Up - To start off, cover any fixtures attached on the walls or ceilings. Cabinets, wall or hanging lamps, light switches and faucets among others must be properly covered. This will keep them from getting unwanted paint drips.

2. Smooth Your Walls - Scrutinize your walls for imperfections. They could have acquired holes, chips or cracks through time. Patch the holes and cracks. Even out the chips. You will need enough patching paste and putty knife to get this right.

3. Dust Off - This is key in painting a house. Painting over dust-filled walls causes premature cracking and peeling of dry paint. Thus, it is important to clean your walls, baseboards, ceilings and crown moldings. Use damp cloth in doing so. This will keep the dust from fluttering.

4. Choose The Right Paint - When it comes to the color, it is best to consider the suggestions of the people who are living with you. You do not want this home makeover task be the cause of cold war amongst you, right? Once the hues have been decided upon, purchase some test gallons. Coat sections of your wall so that you can get a view of the finished effect. Moreover, decide on the type of paint you opt to purchase - latex-based or oil-based. When it comes to protection against daily wear and tear, oil-based coat is the better option. For that, they are expensive. When it comes to cleaning ease of cleaning, latex-based is the coat to go for as it can be cleansed with soap and water.

5. Pick The Right Brush - This is one of the commonly neglected house painting tips. Brushes are made up of natural materials or synthetic materials like nylon. Keep in mind that natural bristles go with oil-based coats, stains and varnishes. Latex-based coats, on the other hand, require nylon bristles.  For woodwork you will need a softer brush and for the walls you will enjoy using a brush that is stiffer and will hold a line.

6. Apply The Primer - Never apply the paint without priming the surface first.  There are Paint and Primer combinations on the market now and they work great.  The paint companies finally listened to the consumer on this one. This can cover up the patches that you made on the walls. Before proceeding with the priming or paint and primer combination, open your windows for proper ventilation. Roller brushes are the best tools for priming. Remove excess lint on in it with the use of masking tape. Lint would mix with the coat if not removed.

7. Mix The Coats –Most premium paints will stay mixed up for about 30 days and so there really is no need to stir it up.  But  a paint stick with holes would get your mixing right. For consistent color on all of your walls, use a big bucket to mix all your paint. This is advisable especially for large rooms.  Even if you have 2 gal. mix them together.

8, To finish off these house painting tips, eliminate the paint fume by leaving windows open for a few days. Additional natural remedies to this include placing bowls filled with vinegar and baking soda in the room. Onions also absorb paint fumes fast.

A little additional advice.

These tips are relatively simple and easy to follow.  Take the time to follow each one and you will be successful in your painting endeavors.

Of course, hiring a professional painter will eliminate the need for all of these tips.  I know that in this economy it is a difficult decision to spend the money on something that you think you can do yourself.  Always think about what your time is worth and the end result.  You pay a professional for a professional job and 99% of the time that is what you get. 

As Always “Happy Painting and Decorating”

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Ken Rader Interiors L.L.C.

Serving Northwest Arkansas with the finest in painting and decorating. Making our community beautiful one house at a time.