The holidays are coming, and with them, guests for a meal or to stay for a visit. Painting is one of the fastest and simplest ways to freshen up the appearance of your home and even transform its entire look. White or light pastel colors can make a room seem larger and cleaner. Darker tones create a more dramatic effect or intimate atmosphere.
Regardless of color, a fresh coat of paint can clean up the look of even an old home with poor walls in only a few hours, and inexpensively too, provided that you are willing to do the preparation thoroughly to ensure a good paint job.
Most people rush home from the paint store and want to get started right away putting it on the walls. But the secret of a great-looking room is the time you spend in the pre-painting preparation. There are a few key points to keep in mind before you begin that will make your new paint job look as if it were done by a pro.
You should start with clean walls and a relatively empty room. Go over the walls carefully to make sure there are no greasy stains, cracks, holes or other issues that could affect the evenness of the paint. Remove all nails and picture hangers from the wall. Painting over them would lead to disastrous drip marks.
Clean the walls, let them dry, and then get out the putty and wall filler to try to even out the surface of the walls as much as possible. If you home is relatively new, or you have had to re-plaster, you might need to put on a coat of primer on that wall to help the paint cling to the wall better, for improved coverage.
While you are waiting for the putty to dry, it is time to start removing all of the fixtures and fittings to keep them safe from paint. Tape over the areas you want to keep clean and dry. You will also need to start taping the edges of the room to stop paint transfer from ceiling to wall, or wall to the floor or window.
When the room is finally ready to paint, open your first can of paint and use a large bucket and paint stirrer to ensure evenness of color, especially if you have opted for a custom color to be specially mixed for you. The longer it sits, the more the color pigment will settle, so pour half the paint into the mixing bucket, stir well, but without forming bubbles, and then stir the paint in the can again. Then return the paint from the bucket to the can, stir, and repeat, pouring the paint back in the bucket.
Never use a screwdriver or other metal tools and avoid getting any fluff or dust in the paint. Make sure everything you use is clean and dry.
Then pour your paint into a tray lined with a liner for easy clean up. Hint-use a plastic bag tied tightly over the tray, with the knot on the bottom.
Start with your ceiling paint, and clean up any splatter on the wall as you go to try to keep the wall surface even. Use a good quality roller and always practice ladder safety when painting high places and going up and down the ladder. Depending on the size of the room, you should expect to spend anywhere from four hours to an entire day painting. Larger rooms will require two or more days to finish.
The time invested will be worth it if you prepare your room carefully. It will help give you a high-quality final result, and if you use good-quality paint, you should be able to enjoy your new paint job for two to three years.
FURTHER READING:
How to Become a Do-It-Yourself Mom: A Guide for Simple Home Decorating Ideas for Smart Women
