Home Painting Tips from the Pros

Painting a home or office really isn’t that complicated.  All you need is to buy paint, a brush or two, and maybe a paint tray.  If you think that all there is to it, you are mistaken.  To get a great looking finish on your painted walls, there is a lot of skill required.  There is a good deal of preparation and execution that has to be done to get the finished project the way you envisioned it.

Sometimes, depending on the size and complexity of the project, you may want to consider hiring professional painters to handle it.  But sometimes, because of budget constraints, you may need to do it yourself.  If that is the case, we would like to offer some tips and suggestions that the professionals have.  To help you get your project from start to finish.

Take care to protect all your furnishings and items.  Don’t be like others who have thought, “I won’t get any paint on that”.  Paint splatters.  It does, and you should be using a drop cloth to protect the floors.  You can also move all furnishings to the centre of the room and put a drop cloth over all of it.  Or, if the items are small enough to simply relocate while you are painting, do that.  Resist the temptation to just open a can and start painting.  Doing this preparation of the work area can save you a lot of money, which would have been spent to replace damaged furnishings.

The finished painting project will only be a good as the products you use to finish it.  We are talking about paint selection and brush selection.  These are often the deciding factors on whether the work will be outstanding or the work will be substandard.  Do not be tempted to save a few dollars on inexpensive brushes or rollers.  The same thing applies to selecting paint.  The bit extra you will spend will reap you a lot of satisfaction with the job and how well it lasts.

Remember that paint needs to bond to the surface.  It needs to adhere.  This means that, as part of your preparation stage, you need to make sure that the surface is clean.  Remove all dirt, dust, and stains first, before applying paint to the wall.  You cannot just paint over it to hide it.  What will happen is the paint will not bond to the wall and you will end up with peeling paint.  And you will need to repaint it in the very near future.
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Another tip the professionals will tell you is to wash your new brushes and rollers before you use them.  Although they may be coming right out of packaging, they can have some fuzzy material, dust, or particles in or on them.   That stuff can end up on the wall, trapped in the paint.  Just give them a run under some tap water and use a tiny bit of dish soap to clean them first.  You can pat them semi-dry and start using them right away. 

Should you ever have any questions or concerns about your painting projects, many of the home renovation stores have staff who are equipped to answer them.  You can also access a professional painter and get his advice as well.  They are very accommodating and willing to share tips with you.  There are many Edmonton Painters ready to assist you on your project.