Seven Tips to a Perfect Interior Paint Job

Painting the interior of your house is the easiest way to increase the beauty and value of your home. A good paint job however takes preparation and know-how. Here are ten tips to help you get a perfect paint job.

1. It all starts with quality paint. Paint comes in thousands of colors and shades. It is sold in gallon buckets, quarts, and even five gallon buckets. Color however is not the main deciding factor in choosing paint. It is quality. More expensive, quality paints cover better, are more forgiving of mistakes, don’t run, and helps to make an amateur painter appear professional. So when deciding on a brand, opt for a mid to high priced paint versus a lower priced option. The extra expense will save time and money in the end.

2. The right colors. The colors you choose will depend on a number of factors including personal preference, your present decor, and your vision. When choosing colors be aware that the swatch color or the color on the can will not be the exact color on your wall. Light will dictate how the color appears in your home. The same color may seem darker or lighter depending on the amount of light in the room. A simple tip is to buy a small sample of each of the colors you are deciding on and simply paint two foot by two foot squares on a wall, allow them to dry, and then decide which color you prefer. Be sure to look at the colors during the day with natural sunlight if possible, with your artificial lighting, and at night. You will see that each situation gives a different hue of the same color.

3. Preparation is the key. Preparation is the key to any good job. You should start your preparation by making sure that you have all your tools and supplies. Envision yourself doing each job and make notes of what is needed. All your tools and supplies should be centrally located close to the room you’ll be painting. Keep the paint stored inside, away from traffic, and on drop cloths. This will save you a lot of headaches and clean up.

4. Room to work. Remove everything that is feasible to move out of the room you are painting. Take down all curtains and blinds. If you can’t move furniture out of the room then move it to the center and away from the walls. Be sure to thoroughly cover everything that will not receive paint. You want to give yourself room to work and use a roller with an extension handle.

5. Masking. Masking is a step that takes a while but pays off handsomely in the end. Mask anything that should not receive paint. Take off all switch plates and electrical outlet plates and put a piece of masking tape over the toggle switches and outlets themselves A good trick is to tape each screw set to the back of each plate with masking tape. Until you feel comfortable cutting in, you should mask off windows, doors, and moldings from the walls to ensure you don’t get paint on them. Another good trick is to use a twelve inch drywall knife to help protect carpet and flooring when painting baseboards and shoe moldings When it comes to masking, you can never be too careful.

6. The right brush. Choosing the right brush is critical when doing detailed cut in work. Most of your painting will be done using a roller but the most time will be spent with a brush. Choosing a brush should be as much about feel as anything. Make sure the brush fits your hand and be sure to spend the extra money for quality. For cutting in, a two and one half inch slanted brush works perfectly. For baseboards and moldings a three inch straight brush does well.

7. The right roller. Here again quality is what matters. A good roller is smooth when it rolls, light weight, and easy to use. The roller covers are easy to remove and easy to get on. Make sure that the extension handle screws on easily and is tight.