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Things to Keep In Mind When Painting Your Home
“We’ll do it ourselves,” you said of painting your own home. “No problem,” you continued. But now that you’ve got the time carved out to attack this admittedly intimidating project, you’re rightfully a bit fearful. You might have pictured you and your significant other in matching painters pants going from room to room while singing and drinking beer. And, while this is a lovely vision and could still be possible, it’s best to prepare yourself for what you need for attacking the painting of interior rooms. With a lot of preparation, the right supplies, and a bit of how-to research, this could very well go off without a hitch. Read on for five tips to keep in mind when painting the interior or your home yourself.
Don’t Forget the Sheen (Not Charlie)
If you get the help of someone at a paint store, they’re surely going to ask you for what kind of sheen you want—gloss, satin, or egg shell. You might be tempted to go with whatever is cheapest or easiest but, the truth is, sheen matters. You’ll want to go with gloss or satin in areas that are highly-trafficked. The reason for this is these finishes hold up better to getting touched and nicked and can be easily cleaned. On the other hand, these finishes will also make will imperfections more noticeable than a matte option, so weigh your decision on a room-to-room basis.
Soothe Your Mind With Samples
If you’ve ever painted an entire room and decided you hate the color, you won’t soon forget that experience. It’s a nightmare you either live with or take the time to change—either way, it’s the worst. Avoid that in the future by getting sample sizes of the colors you’re interested in and try them out on the wall. Give them enough time to dry so that you can see what each color will look like when the room is finished.
We get the wrong-color anxiety but, with that being noted, we also urge you not to avoid bold colors. As you’ll know from the way certain colleges paint their sports locker rooms, there is definitely something to the psychology of colors. Choose a hue that works for what that room will be used for and go for it. Beware, though—if you’re thinking of selling your home soon (or are painting in order to sell), you’ll want to choose more neutral colors. You want prospective buyers to be able to picture themselves living in your home.
Never Underestimate the Power of the Prep
It can be easy to lose steam after you’ve painted a few rooms and think to yourself, “You know what, I don’t need to prep this one.” There’s no denying that ensuring flooring is covered in tarps or painting blankets and taping up the baseboards and ceiling line are gigantic pains. However, anyone who has ever spilled paint on floors or gotten marks on areas that weren’t meant to be painted knows this is far worse. So think like Nike and, when it comes to prepping your rooms for painting, just do it. The experts at San Diego painting service Finish Line goes so far as to recommend you tape every room you’re planning on painting before you get started. That way, you won’t be tempted to skip it in the name of time and sanity as you run out of steam.
This is a Prime(r) Example
Taping and covering the floors isn’t the only painting prep you’ll need to take care of before you get started. If you’re making a drastic color change, you need to use a primer. Even if you’re not making a big change, however, primer is a great idea for covering up stains and other marks. If you’re not taking a big leap in color, you can probably get away with using a paint and primer in one.
Let’s Roll
You might be tempted to use brushes for your painting because there is less to put together, but rollers will save you so much time in the long run. As this DIYNetwork article suggests, “Remember to paint in an overlapping ‘W’ to get better coverage and smooth out roller lines.” Also, be sure to get an extension pole for rollers to get those hard-to-reach spots.
The painting party you envisioned might be a bit unrealistic but painting the interior of your home doesn’t need to be the bane of your existence either. Follow these tips and you’ll be good to go for your DIY extravaganza.
