10 Quick Tips to Paint Walls Like a Pro

Painting is the easiest (and the cheapest) way through which you can give your home a makeover. A few layers of the choicest shades can transform the look and feel of your room. So if you have been nurturing the idea to transform the tone and setting of your room then consider changing the hues of the walls first! If you are a DIY enthusiast, this task becomes all the more affordable for you. However, painting is a daunting task and your pet project can turn into your worst nightmare when it is not done right.

So here are 10 quick tips that will help you paint your walls like a professional:

1.   Rain Check!

If you wish to commence painting then checking out the weather report would be a wise idea. Painting the walls on a dry day is ideal since humidity can affect the rate at which the pain dries. In fact, humidity in the air could also contribute to your paint dripping. So avoid starting your project on a rainy day. However, if you live in a region where it’s more raindrops than sunshine, invest in slow drying paint to rectify any painting mistakes that you have made. It may slow down your work greatly, especially since you need to do this coat by coat, but the end effect will be pleasing to the eye.

2.   Foundation Matters

Slathering on a layer of paint on your walls is not enough. You need to conduct a thorough visual inspection of the surface that you are about to paint. Prepare it so that your paint has a better adhesive surface. If the walls are flaking or portions of it are peeling, then lightly scrape it all off. Similarly, if you notice any cracks or chippings, make use of a spackle to fill out these uneven surfaces. Prepping your walls saves you a lot of time and money. The disastrous mistake of not doing this would result in watching new layers of paint weighing down the old layers and collectively coming off. All the scraping should be followed by a quick rinse of the walls to get rid of any grime, dust, and grease, thereby giving a fresh new surface for the paint to sit on.

3.   Enough is Enough

To avoid any wastage, you could purchase paint one gallon at a time but most times it so happens that there may be a difference in the shade or the pigment. This situation becomes even more critical if you are mixing two colors to get a particular shade. Therefore, it is important to have a prior idea before you set out on your painting project. Generally, you need one gallon of paint per 400 square feet of area. But you can seek the assistance of online paint calculators for a more accurate estimate. When you have a better idea, you can purchase the paint collectively and mix it all in proper proportions for a more uniform look. This is known as boxing the paint.

4.   Invest in Good Quality Equipment and Paint

Let’s face it, everyone wants to get the task done without burning a hole in their pocket. But pinching pennies on the equipment will do more harm than good. Buy superior quality brushes and rollers, which will give good coverage on the walls. If you are an amateur painter, another obstacle would be deciding on the thickness of the layer of paint. Purchasing good quality brushes ensures that the paint is put not too lightly, neither too thick. This way, you will be saving on the excess paint that you would have needed for multi-layered application. The same goes for paint too. While the premium quality paint may not differ from the cheaper quality paint in terms of price, the final appearance of the wall can vary drastically.

5.   Cover up!

Drop cloths, plastic coverings, and painter’s tape may make your shopping list longer but you will definitely not regret this purchase. All the time that you would spend on covering up the floors, doorknobs, and furniture, would still pale in comparison to how much you would have actually spent had you been scrubbing the pain off from all these items.

6.   Polish your end game

These days you would often find paints containing a blend of primers. This may make you feel that purchasing a primer separately may be futile exercise. However, if you haven’t painted your walls for the past 8 years or your wall has developed some issues since the last paint, then you will have to loosen your purse strings and get your hands on a dedicated primer. Apply a coat of primer that gives a finishing quite similar to the ones given by professional painters. Tint your primers with the topcoat coat paint as it will enhance the final coat and make it look refreshingly appealing.

7.   Rollers versus Paint Brushes

You may be confused whether you should make use of a roller or a regular paint brushes. As a rule of thumb, for large surfaces, making use of a roller brush is much more convenient. If you have a good quality paint then you may have noticed that they are easy to apply and can flow easily. So get your roller brush to slap on the paint without breaking your back. Use an extension pole to reach those inaccessible regions and you will have to apply minimal pressure. You can use the brush for fine areas like the edges.

8.   Top to Bottom Approach

The direction in which you paint determines the texture. Paint in the top to bottom direction, that is, from the ceiling to the floor. That way, if your paint drips or you make any mistake while painting, you can easily mask it in the following layer of paint.

9.   Well begun, half done

Painting may not necessarily be a single day job and you might have to take breaks that could last overnight. Quite naturally, you may think of cleaning the sleeves of your paint rollers and your paintbrushes whenever you call it a day. Instead of following the rigorous routine, you can simply roll off the excess paint and wrap the brushes in plastic food wrap. If need arises, give it multiple layers of plastic so that the brushes are sealed off and there is no entry for air. Store the equipment in your refrigerator. This little hack can actually keep your brushes from drying!

10.         The Clean Coat Around Outlets

An amateur painter would directly paint over the outlet covers and the electrical outlets. If you really wish to paint like a professional, you would have to spend the time required to take the outlet covers off. If you really do not have it in you to spend the extra few minutes, then make use of a fine paint brush to get around the switches and plugs. As much as you are tempted to do the latter, we would strongly suggest that you follow the first technique of taking off the covers and later putting them on if you really hope for a professional quality painting job.