How to Avoid Mistakes When Painting Your Walls

There is nothing like a freshly painted room…it feels so clean, refreshed and new! They say that painting the walls in a room is the easiest way to change it up…but is it that easy? Some people might think so, but there are too many of us that have “horror stories” to tell. Stories of horrid colors, ruined carpets, previous colors bleeding through, and uneven trim work. All these things and others are very detracting and make the job look amateur and the room less than wonderful.

Some of the biggest mistakes people make take place during the preparation, or the lack of preparation…

Take time to prepare

• The first part of preparing to paint is making sure you have the right tools for the job. Sure you may have some old brushes and rollers laying around the house that you could use rather than buying new, correct ones. You may think it’s saving money to use them, but later, when you think the job is done and you find hairs or lint or poor coverage on your walls, you will wish you had taken the time to have the proper tools. What you thought would save you money could cost you more if you have to redo what you’ve already done.
• The next step that is often overlooked or avoided is preparing the walls and the room properly before applying paint.
  • You need to make sure your walls and ceilings are clean and free from dirt and loose particles and cob webs.
  • Applying painter’s tape around all of your ceilings and woodwork may take a little time, but it will save a lot of time in touch ups and you will have a much more professional job, with clean straight edges. Removing the tape can be a bit tricky…pull it off at an angle, and don’t wait until the paint is dry, do it while it’s still drying.
  • Patch and fill existing holes, let the compound dry completely and then sand it to eliminate the excess.
  • Don’t forget to prime! A good coat of primer will help the new paint adhere well to your walls, and give a more even finish when you’re painting over a previous color.
  • Part of good wall preparation is to remove outlet and switch plate covers. You’ll have a nicer, more professional look, and those plates won’t be “painted to the walls”.
• Protecting your room and its contents is important if you don’t want splatters and spills everywhere. Have plenty of drop cloths you can completely cover your floors and your furniture with. Even if you don’t spill, you will splatter. Since you probably won’t be removing your doorknobs, slip a plastic bag or an old sock over them and tape it down.

If you’re getting ready to change a  room, but you really don’t want to do it yourself …

Give us a call for a free estimate – (425) 888-3634

Claffey’s Painting is a full service painting contractor serving Western Washington, Chelan, Douglas and Kittitas Counties. We have painted over 7000 homes and would enjoy the opportunity to help paint yours. We can guide you through all the decision making processes so you get the right paint for the right job, and the professional job you’re looking for.

In a future article we’ll talk about tips and techniques for applying  paint.