Painting is supposed to be a creative, fun, satisfying experience that will change the look and feel of a room. But, if you’ve never painted before OR you’ve painted a room before and it never turned out how you wanted it to it might be because you are making mistakes along the way. It’s okay though, we all make mistakes, but the important part is learning from those mistakes. Below, are a few mistakes you might have been making and how to fix those mistakes and do it correctly. If you have made a painting mishap that you cannot fix on your own you can always reach out to a house painter in New Jersey; NJ house painters are experienced at getting the job done right and can help you fix or undo any mistake.
Mistake #1 Not Using Quality Tools
Anyone will agree that certain projects call for certain tools and painting is no different. You need not only the right tools, but quality tools. When painting make sure that you choose brushes that are of quality – if not, those little bristles will end up in the paint and will cause a mess. Choose quality naps – if not the rollers you use will have those fluffy little spots all in the paint, another great way to create a mess and waste time. Choose a good paint. As of right now in the marketplace there are at least 10 good name brands, so why are you using the crappy no name brand that has a bad reputation? Even if you have to spend a little more on the good paint, it will pay off because you will only have to paint every so years. Or do touch ups. Cheap paint will not work like this and you’ll have to double your load anyway to make up for it which is going to cost the same as if you just used a quality brand to begin with! Always do research on the paints and tools you are using.
Mistake #2 Too Much Paint On Your Tools
It doesn’t matter if you are using a paint brush or a roller, too much paint can cause quite the mess. Not only can it drip all over the floor and everything else beneath the walls and the ceilings, but it can also cause streaks in your paint. You might not notice it while the paint is still wet, but once it dries you are going to see a whole bunch of streaks all over the wall. It’s frustrating, but it could have been avoided if you used less paint on those rollers and brushes. Also, make sure that when painting your ceilings and walls, you are using a zigzag application in 4×4 blocks. Not strokes.
Mistake #3 Proper Preparation
So many people just want to paint and get it over with. But, it just doesn’t work like this. Take a dirty wall for instance. If you have things like dust and cobwebs on the walls and you think you can paint right over this, think again. Those little pieces of dirt and dust will NOT just be rolled or painted over, instead they will mix with the paint and you will see those little particles when the paint dries. Another preparation point you need to consider is the primer. Primer is essentially a barrier to protect the wall and in many cases will make it so you will only need one paint coat, not two, three or four coats – saving you money and time. So while it does take some time to add the primer, it will be worth its weight in gold in the end. The last preparation point: removing furniture, covering floors with drop cloths and getting everything you need together before you start to paint. The last thing you need to do is accidentally get paint on your shoe, walk to the other room because you forget something like a brush and track paint ALL over your house, carpet, wood floors, etc. Yuck! What a mess. Get everything you need and put it in the room you need it in at that specific time.
Mistake #4 Left Over Paint
Chances are you will have some left over paint when you are all done. Unless you can figure out something else to paint, you will need to take a few steps to keep that left over paint fresh. One tip for water based paints is to place a clear piece of plastic wrap over the can and then place the top on it. This will sort of reseal the container and keep the paint fresh. Another option for oil based paints is to add about a half inch of water on the surface before you close it up.