• Follow us:

Paint Walls Like a Pro

Maitland-Smith Lamps and Lighting Antique Brass, Brass Wall Lamp 1943-130 is a unique replacement for the usual painted wall.

Maitland-Smith Lamps and Lighting Antique Brass, Brass Wall Lamp 1943-130 is a unique replacement for the usual painted wall.

Interior painting is no less than the most popular home improvement project in the world of interior design. This is understandable as it is an easy and affordable way to freshen up the look in rooms. Painting can also be done by family members as a weekend project as it does not require specialized training. What you need is just a little patience, some practice and a few tips.

Prep the Surface

The most successful paint jobs begin with surface preparation. This means you should sand, scrape, patch, and filling cracks, dents and holes. Basically, any surface imperfection must be solved. This is the dirtiest part of the project but it is also the most crucial. Do something wrong during this phase and something worse could come up later.

Primer Tinting

The next important step is to prime the wall. Primer can block stains from bleeding out. It also makes single coat possible as it also improves the adhesion of the paint used. Peeling and blistering could also be the result of non-priming.

There are now paints that come with primers yet nothing covers as great as a dedicated primer.

Plastic drop cloths are a cheap way of protecting furnishings and the floor from spatters. It may be wiser to invest in canvas, though. Canvas is durable and is rip-resistant. It offers a flatter layer compared to plastic which means you won’t have to worry about tripping that much.

Canvas drop cloth can be folded around doorways and corners which is another advantage compared to plastic sheets. Also, most plastic drop cloths are not reusable.

Canvas can last a lifetime.

Uttermost Accessories Bronze Leaves Wall Art Set5 04063

Uttermost Accessories Bronze Leaves Wall Art Set5 04063

Utilize the Paint Grid

Painting can take days so if you have more to do tomorrow, there is no need to go through brush cleaning each day. Simply roll off or brush the excess paint then wrap everything in food wrap. Double up the plastic to make sure that air is sealed out then have the roller sleeves and brushes placed inside the fridge. This should keep them fresh, avoiding paint dry up overnight. You can even store the brushes and roller sleeves for as long as a week if you are about to tackle an ambitious job.

The following day, just remove the gear from the refrigerator then use after 30 minutes.

Roll the Paint

A neater approach to rolling paint is to have it roll directly from the five-gallon bucket with the use of a paint grid. This is a rectangular plastic or metal screen that can be hooked on the rim of a bucket. Fill the bucket to about 50%, dip the roller, then roll it against the plastic or metal grid. This should remove any excess paint.

Use an Extension Pole

Get rid of the stepladder and use a telescoping extension pole instead. This comes in various lengths, with some extending as long as 18-36 feet. Longer extension poles are great in painting 8-9 foot tall ceilings.

As you shop for extension poles, make sure that you find one that has a non-slip, soft grip and a metal core. Check also that the threaded end of the extension pole is made of metal. Plastic handles may become too flexible which could make them a tad more difficult to control.

Just Paint

Lastly, what else is there left to do but to paint? Go out, find your favorite color and see if it blends well with your chosen theme. Ask your family members or friends to help out so that this project becomes easier. Shop for the tools together, plan the project together, and of course, don’t forget to have fun!

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 25th, 2016 at 8:20 am and is filed under Accents, Accessories, Color Schemes, Interior Design 101, Interior Design Elements, Wall Design. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.