How To House Painting Tips

It’s time to redecorate your home! Are you looking for tips on how to paint a house? This blog post has all the information you need. Learn about the best colors, what type of paint to use, and more. Painting the interior or exterior of your home are two big projects that require some planning. We always recommend hiring professional painters in order to guarantee that the job is done right the first time, but we know that DIY projects can be more cost-effective. Therefore, we have written out a list of tips and tricks to follow when painting your home.

Use Proper Ventilation And Prep Furniture

Painting is messy and you will make a mess, so make sure you plan accordingly and open up all the windows in your home. You should also keep any doors open to ensure that fresh air can flow through your home while you paint. If it’s not too hot outside, consider running an electric fan to ventilate rooms. We also recommend wearing a paint respirator or mask and investing in some eye protection. If you are painting inside, move any furniture away from the walls or remove it entirely so that you can paint freely without worrying about spilling on your sofa or bed. This is also important to remember if you are painting outside. You will want to cover up things like plants, stone, brick, and other surfaces that you don’t want to have painted.

Tape off trim and molding

When taping off areas like the baseboard, window sills, and door molding, it’s important to leave enough room around the edges of these surfaces for proper coverage. Don’t forget to tape off the ceiling as well! Protecting areas that you don’t want painted is crucial. Don’t overestimate your abilities, even professional painters use tape!

Use newspapers or plastic sheets to keep paint off floors

If you are painting inside your home, protect your floor by laying down newspapers, canvas drop cloths, or tarps. Plastic drop cloths are the best way to keep your floors, counters, and cabinets free of paint drips while you are painting the ceiling. Before the paint dries, it will drip no matter how skilled of a painter you are and it can be extremely difficult to get off. Some people often forget to cover small things such as light switches, or they don’t realize they need to buy outlet covers to avoid paint clogging them up.

Dust off brushes and walls

After each brushstroke, use a dry paint brush to dust the excess paint from the bristles, so it doesn’t dry and clump up inside of them while you are working. You may also want to use a tack cloth to get any debris off the wall before you lay down a stroke.

Paint in sections

When interior painting, it is easiest when done in sections across one wall or section at a time. This will help you avoid color bleed between sections and get full coverage. If necessary, look for someone else to help you with large paintings! Realize that the job is going to take multiple coats so the project may take a lot longer than expected. Also, remember when applying paint, you have to let the paint dry before anything new can be laid down. Start painting with an even coat of paint roller. It’s best to start out by applying an even layer of paint roller over uncovered surfaces like unpainted woodwork. Paint rollers help paint cover more smoothly and evenly over these types of textures.

Protect furniture with plastic drop cloths

The best way to protect your furniture is to place a piece of plastic over it before you start painting the walls. It is also wise to move furniture out of the way as much as possible. It’s always better to take more precautions than what you may think is necessary. Better safe than sorry!

Oil based paint or latex paint

If you’re painting a home, it’s important to choose the right paint for the surface you are painting. When using oil-based paints, primer is vital for a good finish it makes the paint stick to the surface better and will increase the durability of your paint job. If using water-based latex paints, you’ll need to use a primer as well. Water-based paints differ from oil-based paints in that they have a shorter drying time and the paint is thinner. When painting walls, it’s best not to use oil-based paints or primers for trim or doors that are made of wood. The reason being is that when you brush over them later on in the process, it will cause your newly painted walls to peel away. To paint trim and doors made of wood, you should opt for a high-quality latex primer.

Never go cheap on painting projects

Never compromise on quality when it comes to the paint you choose for your job. Although buying cheap paint may appear to be a great idea, these types of paints are more likely not going to perform as desired and will result in a sub-standard finish.Premium quality paints like Behr, Sherwin Williams, and Benjamin Moore are some of the top-quality paints that we use and would highly recommend. It’s important to choose the right brush when painting your home. If you are using a roller, use a medium or long nap one that is made for an even distribution of paint. To paint trims around doors and windows, use a small angled brush with synthetic bristles so it can effortlessly get into all the nooks and crannies. Stir and mix your paint thoroughly before you begin painting so that there is no settling on the bottom of the can and this will also ensure a smooth consistency throughout. Typically your paint cans will be one gallon and you can use things like a wooden stirrer or ruler to get the job done.

Selecting the right tools

Use a lightweight ladder if possible as opposed to a heavy-duty one as you will be able to maneuver it more easily. Of course, heavy-duty sturdy ladders are recommended when doing high-up exterior work or painting high ceilings. Be careful with ladders and always have a spotter present when going up to reach high surfaces. If you are required to paint over wallpaper, wear rubber gloves so that the glue doesn’t irritate your hands. Always use a brush to cut in the edges and corners of your walls for a neat finish as you can always use a paint-filled roller tray and roller cover to handle the majority and fill in afterward. Make sure to use painter’s tape to mark off any sections you don’t want to be colored. Masking tape can work, however, it is better to use painter’s tape as it is designed to not leave any residue. It’s taking these extra steps that will make the difference between your project looking like an average DIY project or a professional paint job.

Check the texture of the wall

The type of paint that is chosen will depend on the surface and the paint color you want. For example, if your walls are textured you will want to choose a paint that is made for textured surfaces. These will typically be labeled as “high build” or “problem surface.” Be sure to check the surface prior to purchasing anything.

Can I use expired paint?

Be sure that you know what paint you are using and how long it typically takes to dry. If you can’t remember when you bought it last time, look at the label on the can. Your paint can be used even after the expiration date on the label, but it will take longer to complete the project and may not cover as well as it would have originally. Fresh paint always works best, and while you don’t have to throw out and waste the old stuff, you may want to get a backup can or two just to make sure you have enough to go around. Mixing paint is always important before you start to roll it on.

Tips to keep things tidy

Make sure you wash all your brushes and roller covers with warm soapy water as soon as you can. Otherwise, they will become hard, stiff, and no longer usable. It’s best to get a few back up brushes and rollers for when washing isn’t enough. Use the level (plumb bob) to make sure that pictures and other items on the wall are hanging straight. Using a chalk line is an even better way to ensure they are hung evenly. Make sure to wear old clothes and shoes because paint can be messy and hard to wash off! Don’t be overconfident and think you won’t get paint on you because if there’s one thing we can guarantee, it’s that you will be wearing it just as well as your walls! Be sure to clean up after yourself! It’s best to clean as you go so you don’t end up with one giant mess in the end. The last thing you will want to do after a long hard paint job is have a huge pile to clean up that will take hours.

Plan your time accordingly

You’ll also need to consider how much time you have available for the job. You must remember that the painted surface must be completely dry before applying the second coat of new paint. Don’t bite off more than you can chew for a night and have yourself rushing and getting careless because you are trying to get to sleep. You also want to make sure that you don’t paint in extremely hot temperatures or in too much direct sunlight. This will avoid lap marks, even when interior painting. If you want to paint the doors, window casings, or other woodwork, try not to lay it on too thick. It will cause it to swell and become very difficult to open and close. The surface of your home should be free of dirt, dust, oil, etc. When staining or applying paint to drywall, it is very likely you will need to sand the surface first. We recommend getting an electrically powered sand machine, as sanding by hand will be extremely difficult.

Create your perfect home vision

When choosing a paint color, think about the color scheme of your house and neighborhood. If you want to stand out, then by all means go for it! But it is widely advised to stick with more natural and subtle colors. Keep in mind that one day you may be selling your home, so these standard colors will likely be more accepted by future buyers. Painting a room can be an easy way to change its appearance without spending too much money. You can really change the entire feel of a room with just a simple coat of paint.

Painting tips for molding and zero VOC paints

If the room has a lot of molding, make sure that it is clean before starting to paint. Clean away leftover residue from previous coats of paint using a putty knife and sandpaper for a smooth finish. It’s best not to use oil-based paints if there are kids in the house because they can cause respiratory problems. Oil-based paints are more durable but they’re not environmentally friendly so try using latex instead Latex has high resistance properties which make them ideal for all types of surfaces including walls, ceilings, woodwork, metalwork, etc. There are also low volatile organic compound and non-volatile organic compound paints (VOC) that are great for people with allergies and asthma. If you’re doing a room with high ceilings, paint the bottom half of the wall first and then proceed upwards to avoid overlap marks. Painting upper sections can leave ugly smudges and streaks on lower sections if applied haphazardly. Paint pens are great for making small corrections. They come in many different colors and some people even use them as art supplies. But before buying one make sure that it suits your needs – don’t buy something that doesn’t work with your project and causes unnecessary expenses.

Click around our website for more painting tips

When you’re ready to paint your home, make sure you get the job done right. The process of painting a wall or entire room can be tricky and time-consuming if it isn’t done correctly. If you have any questions about how best to prep for priming, applying primer before paint, what type of roller is best for rolling on latex paint, or anything else related to painting your home—give us a call! Our experts are always happy to answer some basic questions over the phone so that they may help guide you through this process with ease. You deserve better than just “good enough!”

How To House Painting Tips