Interior Painting Tips for First-Timers

Are you painting your home for the first time? Here are some tips to help you along the way!

There are many reasons for which people decide to repaint rooms. In some instances, paint jobs that have become to crack, peel and show other signs of age facilitate the need for repainting. Other times, homeowners are just in the mood for a change of pace. Whatever your reason for slapping on a fresh coat of paint, there are a number of measures you’ll need to take before, during and after the job. These measures are particularly important for homeowners who possess little to no experience with interior painting. So, if you’ll soon be breaking out the paints and rollers, take the following pointers to heart.

Purchase the Right Paint

As is the case with any type of product, you basically get what you pay for when shopping for paint. While it’s always nice to save a few bucks, it’s generally recommended that you go for high-quality options when searching for the right house paint. Given how long you expect a paint job to last and how good you expect it to look, it’s in your best interest to avoid cheaping out on house paint. If you’re unclear on which brands offer the best quality, fire up your favorite search engine or consult an expert at your local hardware store. For best results, make sure to spring for high-quality paint rollers and roller covers. Quality paint and quality rollers are a winning combination, and when you see how well the job turned out, you’ll be glad that you spared no expense.

Don’t Allow Your Paint to Dry Out

As any seasoned painter can attest, paint is highly susceptible to drying out, and there’s nothing quite as frustrating as discovering that paint’s gone dry right before proceeding to paint a room. Paint stored in cans that are only partially full is particularly prone to drying. Fortunately, preventing dry-outs is far from an uphill battle. If you have any golf balls on hand, place them in any partially empty paint cans to fill the air space. Placing plastic wrap beneath the lid is another simple, effective way to stave off drying. Lastly, make a point of tightly sealing any partially empty paint cans and storing them upside down.

Thoroughly Clean the Surface You Wish to Paint

To ensure that no dust, dirt or debris get mixed in with fresh paint, give the surface you wish to paint a thorough cleaning before repainting it. If the soon-to-be-painted surface is on the smaller side, a good tack cloth can be an invaluable cleaning tool. Conversely, if you’re working with a larger surface, a warm water-soaked sponge or washcloth should do the trick. Just make sure to give your sponge or washcloth a good wringing before bringing it in contact with the surface.

Secure Anything You Don’t Want to Get Paint On

It should come as no surprise that painting can be a fairly messy undertaking. So, in addition to wearing clothes you don’t care about ruining, take care to securely cover any item you don’t wish to get paint on. Drop cloths and plastic sandwich bags can prove particularly helpful in this endeavor. This may initially strike you as a cumbersome chore, but upon surveying how much paint falls onto said cloths and bags, you’ll be glad you took the time to properly prepare. After all, covering important items may eat up a chunk of time, but paint stains are liable to last forever. Not only will you need to cover important items, you’ll also need to tend to any surfaces you don’t wish to paint. These surfaces will need to be covered with high-quality painter’s tape. Make sure to have a steady supply of painter’s tape on hand before beginning the job, and don’t be shy about using it. When it comes to protecting surfaces, too much tape is preferable to too little.

A brand-new coat of paint can make even the most familiar space seem fresh and exciting. However, if your interior painting experience leaves much to be desired, you’d be wise to educate yourself in advance of such an undertaking. As you’ll find, a little bit of knowledge can mean the difference between a shoddy, amateurish paint job and one that’s professional-caliber.