Paint with a Purpose: DIY with a Professional Touch
Painting is a great way to upgrade your home without breaking the bank and a project that many people can tackle. Like anything, if you’re going to do it, do it right. In this part of the paint series, we cover tips and tricks to make your paint job look professional – even if it’s your first time.
Wait out the rain
What seems like a great rainy day project, you may want to reconsider. Rain brings humidity, and with humidity brings potentially drippy paint and slower drying times. We recommend waiting for dryer weather before beginning your project or be prepared to with interior fans and more patience.
Preparation is Key
The secret behind quality painting is the time and effort in prep. From things like finding old paint spots that are chipping or flaking and sanding them to washing away grease spots and cleaning up any dust will make your job a lot easier and your results much better. In other words take the extra time now, and you’ll be happier in the long run.
Tint your primer
Priming is a must before any project. Use the pros’ trick and mix a small amount of your topcoat into the primer to tint it – this will help hide the primed coat completely and give you faster wall coverage.
Don’t cheap out on materials
Trust us, your arms will thank you. Buying high-quality rollers and brushes ensures that you’ll get great coverage. In addition, buying top tier painters’ tape (our favorite is FrogTape) will lessen your chance of drips, smears, and blurs. Paint it once and be done!
Paint from the top down
Using a roller and “V” pattern, work your way from the top of the wall downward. This allows for optimal coverage in the textured wall as well as for you to paint over any potential drips, splatters, or mistakes that make happen from being a rookie.
DIY, But Make It Professional
Try it out yourself, it’s just paint after all! If you don’t like the color, change it. With utilizing the tips above, your DIY paint job will look nothing less than amazing. Take your time, remember painting is all about prep, and your project will give off that professional glow.
