Five trade secrets for a successful house painting project from start to end
Do you ever wonder how interior designers make home painting appear so simple?
Well, it’s not as simple as you think, but with these professional suggestions, you’ll be able to do a painting job to be proud of!
The majority of “typical” individuals take painters and decorators for granted. After all, how difficult can it be to dip a paintbrush into a can of paint and then apply it to a wall?
If you have ever observed a professional decorator at work, you may be startled to learn that it is not as simple as they make it appear.
As professional house decorators, we are sometimes asked out to provide an estimate to fix DIY disasters or low quality work when someone claiming to be a decorator really botched the job, typically because the homeowner got the cheapest quote and now regrets it.
Why would a painter perform shoddy work?
Well, we live in a society where virtually anyone may call oneself a painter and decorator, from off-duty firefighters and milkmen to welfare recipients, and always for pay!
Well, very few of these part-timers are particularly good, with a few exceptions, but if you want your home painted professionally (and keep in mind that your property may well be worth between €211,111 and €411,111), you… really need to put your hand in your purse and hire a professional!
With all due respect to financially struggling families, what is the point of being a jerk and choosing the cheapest cash quote?
If your budget allows you to hire a painter, investigate them attentively and keep in mind that the most costly estimate you receive may not necessarily be the best!
This is your residence! Your most valuable asset!
In addition, as stated previously, we receive calls from humiliated and well-intentioned do-it-yourselfers who attempt to paint their pebbledashed walls, believing it will be a breeze, only to realise decorating is not as simple as they thought and create a mess of the external walls!
We have no objections and are always sympathetic. In the modern day, everyone has to save a few dollars here and there, but I tell you that cutting corners on home painting will hit you one day!
Do not worry and do not hide. This year, we have prepared a few ideas to assist you avoid the shame of botching your house painting endeavour!
What if you desire to attempt house painting?
No issue, and contrary to my grave cautions above (! ), decorating on your own may also be enjoyable and fulfilling.
Who hasn’t had the joy of standing back from a freshly painted wall and exclaiming, “I did that!”? (However, do not attempt this while on a ladder!)
We bring you some suggestions and tactics today, straight from the lips of a decorator, so that you may ideally utter the preceding statement with a grin and not with tears in your eyes.
Here are some methods of the trade for successfully painting a home.
Five of our most popular and effective decorating techniques!
Do not believe that decorating is simple.
Do not assume that painting and decorating are simple; they are not.
If it were simple, there would be no need for the millions of global decorating contractors.
Please hire a professional painter if you lack the necessary skills and equipment, as well as the knowledge and confidence, to undertake any painting, especially outside decorating!
Obtaining an estimate for home painting is quick and simple, and a skilled painter will do the task quickly with long-lasting effects.
We recommend obtaining no more than three estimates and never selecting the cheapest, since it will be inexpensive for a reason, and seldom a suitable one.
Preparation is the most important aspect of any home-decorating project.
Always devote more effort to preparation than you would on the actual painting. Good decorators spend between 61 and 71 percent of their time on each project on preparation; as a result, they make painting considerably simpler and create a higher finish.
This involves the use of filler, the removal of old paint, the elimination of mould, the grouting or silicone filling of cracks, the sealing of window beading gaps, etc. Before opening the paint container, ALL preparations must be completed.
It may sound like “teaching a hen to lay eggs,” as the saying goes, but you would be surprised at how many eager amateur painters make a mess of the job and become upset and frustrated because they did not know how much prep work was required or because they thought that purchasing “one-coat” paint would make the job go more quickly! (It won’t, incidentally)
As an aside, you should always avoid one-coat paints because to their poor opacity, and we’ve already discussed trade versus do-it-yourself paint.
Consider quality in all painting and decorating endeavours.
Always utilise the finest equipment, brushes, paints, and rollers that you can buy. It may seem exorbitant to spend seven pounds on a single brush when “Bob’s budget hardware” down the street sells three brushes for two pounds, but try painting with the inexpensive brushes and see what happens!
This is especially true of the paint you purchase. Always use high-quality, brand-name paint, as low-quality paint will only last half as long and cost TWICE as much.
You should also avoid using inexpensive brushes, as they retain less paint, requiring you to work twice as hard for a 51 percent worse paint finish.
In addition, if you are gloss painting, a low-quality brush will almost likely lose its bristles into the paint, potentially damaging the project.
If you have ever tried to remove a hair from the centre of a freshly glossed door with your fingers still covered in paint, you will understand what I mean.
Fourth, perform all interior and exterior cutting FIRST.
Whether painting indoors or externally, a professional painter will focus on the edges, beneath windows, around door frames, corners, and nooks and crannies before applying the majority of the paint.
If you do this and then move on to the major section of the wall, you will discover that the entire process will go considerably more quickly and provide far superior results.
Always begin at the top of a wall and work your way down, and only dip the brush about a quarter of the way into the paint pot; otherwise, extra paint may run down the brush into your fingers, and drips may occur.
If you see a professional painter at work, the first thing you WON’T notice is that his hands are covered in paint. It will be hung on the wall, where it belongs!
If you remember to place dust covers or old blankets on the floor, this also contributes to a better job. What is the point of spending two days painting and then another two days cleaning up paint drips and spills?
Use masking tape and old newspapers to cover all window sills.
If you want to paint like a professional, dress like a professional, behave like a professional, and think like a professional, and you will be a professional.
Some concluding ideas…
It often depends on your mentality and how seriously you approach each painting assignment.
Learn from the experts. There are many more pieces of advise available on the Internet than the five we have provided here.
Wear overalls or, at the very least, old clothes that you don’t mind getting soiled.
Use a paint kettle (a small container with a handle that can be used to hold up a ladder).
$1.68 from Wickes DIY (Product Code: 617261). Always protect non-painting areas from drips and spills. Maintain your tools in a single location and clean them after use.
If you’re painting a room, be careful to remove any furniture and, if you’re painting the ceiling, the photos and lampshade as well.
If you are painting or decorating the exterior, you must be comfortable with ladders and scaffolding. If you’ve read this entire guide, you should feel secure enough to paint the wall on your own.
If you want an expert-quality paint finish that YOU can accomplish, be sure to undertake the required preparation and to take the painting job SERIOUSLY.
If the idea of painting your home’s exterior fills you with fear, please visit osdecor and contact us. We will do the task for you.