Do you often take shortcuts when you clean? After all, no one will notice that you did not move the couch to clean underneath. People often take shortcuts whenever they can. It’s easier sometimes, and it allows us to get things done much faster. However, shortcuts can be your undoing if you’re trying to paint your house. It does not matter how skilled you are with the brush or how adeptly you stroke the ‘Ws’ on your walls with a roller, any imperfections will stand out like a sore thumb. Professional painters know the importance of proper preparation for a paint job. It is the most important step of the whole process and determines the quality of the final product. If you are wondering how to get a quality finish on your paint job, the following tips for painting walls will help a great deal.
- Weather
You shouldn’t paint your home when it’s humid or rainy. This is because humidity results in slow drying and drips. If you must paint during such unfavorable weather, take advantage of the slow drying paint to correct your mistakes. Make sure to take your time and do not overwork the paint as it will show when you’re done. The best time to paint is when it’s dry and sunny.
- Sand the Flaws
To get a clean finish, you need to start off with a smooth surface. Sand away the imperfections on the wall. This will help get rid of ridges, joint compound patches and flatten out nail holes. Sanding will also help get rid of rough spots and burrs in your trim. Use fine grit sanding paper to sand the walls starting from the baseboard to the ceiling. Do not use too much pressure to avoid damaging the wall.
- Tint the Primer
You should prime the walls before painting. Primer helps block stain from bleeding through and allows one coat coverage for whatever paint you will use. It also helps improve adhesion, reducing peeling and blistering. It is good practice to tint the primer towards the desired topcoat. This is one of the tips for painting walls used by pros to enhance the ability of the topcoat to conceal the primed surface. Add a small amount of the top coat paint to your primer. You could also buy paint that contains primer off-the-shelf. However, it won’t perform as well as a dedicated primer.
- Use a Brush Extender to Eliminate Brush and Lap marks
Brush and lap marks are unsightly and make your paint project look rushed. A professional painter uses paint extender (also referred to as paint conditioner) to slow down drying time and level out brush strokes. This gives them adequate time to overlap the painted areas without creating lap marks. An example of paint extender is Floetrol. Mix some into your paint before applying. Check the manufacturer’s directions on how much extender you should add to your paint.
- Box Paint
To get a consistent color throughout, you should box paint. Even when using the same color, the look can vary widely between cans. If you open a new can midway through the paint job, the difference will be glaringly obvious. Mix several cans of paint in a 5-gallon bucket (this is what is referred to as boxing) and paint directly out of it.
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