People who want to be hands-on in their house renovation or design tend to not choose hiring professional painters to their walls and ceilings. Granted that the pros could do the work more efficiently and quickly, but they also come at a price. Their efficiency actually comes from trade secrets circulated among their circle. Let it be no secret anymore! Pros have revealed 10 things everyone should know about painting.
- Use tinted instead of white primer.
Before you start painting, you have to patch up all the holes and cracks in your wall by using a joint compound. If you paint right on top of this compound, it will suck the paint’s moisture. It will then give off a dull look, which the pros call as “flashing”.
To avoid this, you must use a tinted primer before you start painting. Do not use white-colored ones. Instead, pick those with almost the same shade as the finish paint you’re planning to use. It will cover the old paint color without any problem.
- Secure your tape with the putty knife.
Who doesn’t hate messing paint around places you don’t intend to have it on? Usually, pros use a blue painter’s tape to cover the wood around the wall. Painter’s tape allows you to peel it off without leaving waves and buckles behind.
Even with tapes thought, there is still a problem of paint seeping through them and causing paint bleeds. To avoid this, you can use your putty knife to press the tape and secure it on the woodwork.
- Create a ridge in ceilings and ACs.
If you’re experiencing the problem of having paint get into your ceiling, then you must follow the pros’ advice and get your screwdriver. Then, start creating a ridge between the ceiling and the wall. This way, the paint bristles will not touch the ceiling as it will go into the ridge instead.
You can also do this along the lines of your air conditioner. If it’s not possible, you can tape the machine instead. If you happen to splash some inside, you’ll have to call a reliable AC service who can undo it for you.
- Use canvas cloths and not bed sheets.
With bed sheets, which are usually thin, paint usually seep through. However, with canvass cloths, spills can be contained and easily wiped off. Most importantly, it’s easy to transfer. Therefore, you do not need a large one. Something as big as your feet is enough.
- Do not bother taping the windows.
Glass windows can easily be cleaned. Setting up the tape to cover it is more time consuming than taking time after painting to scrape off the splashed paint with a razor blade. You need not exert much effort either as it easily peels off.
- Mix all your paint.
You may or may not have noticed, but paint color varies from every can. You will notice most especially when you’re already halfway your painting job. Therefore, before you start with it, mix all the paint together in a bucket. This is what the pros call as “boxing”.
