Tips for Home Painting

Home painting can be fun, easy and beautifully done without calling in the professionals. A new coat of paint can add style or brighten up a room. You can choose to do-it-yourself or with the help of family and friends, and have great results. With a few home painting tips, you will be on your way to a beautifully painted home in no time.

• Use quality materials and products. Purchase or gather the best painting materials you can afford. These include the paint, as well as, paint brushes, trim tape, paint rollers, and other essential items. The better quality the product, the better quality you home painting job will be.


• Clean the area to be painted before painting. If you paint over a dirty surface the dirt, dust, and grime can make your paint job lumpy, uneven, and unattractive. In addition, if an area is already stained, not all brands of paint will cover it up, so diminish the stain as much as possible beforehand. You can use a scrub brush with mild soap and water to clean most surfaces. For harder to clean surfaces a cleaning solution may be needed. Check the solution's label to ensure it can be used on the surface you are painting without causing harm.


• Sand surfaces. Sanding the surface you plan to paint will help the paintbrush on the area glide smoothly. Plus, it rids the area of any bumps or old, loose paint that may cause uneven spots during and after painting. Another bonus to sanding is the post smoother surface aids the paint in adhering. It is best to use a coarse grain sand paper.


• Use a primer. Before starting any painting job, prime the surface you are to paint first. Primer helps paint adhere to surfaces and gives the paint job a smoother finish. If you want to skip this step, you can use a paint that is a primer and paint in one. Keep in mind these paints are typically more costly.


• Do not paint in direct sunlight. Painting in direct sunlight can damage the finished appearance of your paint job. The sun will cause the paint to dry quicker, making the paint appear uneven. It can also cause the paint not to adhere to the surface as well as it should. Try painting on an overcast day, with curtains closed, in the early morning or when the sun begins to set.


• Let paint dry completely before you touch it, hang pictures, or do a second coat. Failure to wait to touch a paint job before it is completely dry can cause the paint to be ruined by way of smudges, fingerprints, scratches, and other unsightly abrasions. Read the instructions of the brand of paint you use to know how long it will take to dry. Remember, a thicker coat will dry slower than a thinner coat.