PAINT LIKE A DIY PRO WITH THESE EASY STEPS

Overcome Your Painting Fear

Painting is one of the easiest DIY projects to carry out. Since painting is not expensive, less stressful and can be easily fixed if things don’t turn out as planned, it is a relatable project.

There are a lot of painting contractors in London who can provide professional painting for you. However, if you need to do it yourself, then you need to have an idea of what you are planning to do before you begin the painting process.

In this guide, we have sourced out for some juicy tips on painting that you may find helpful.

Here is a list of 10 steps for painting a room:

1. Get A Plan

It is usually better to have a plan before you start painting than to apply the trial and error method. You should know how you want the result to be. Also, remember that there are no limits to the style and colors that you can use. You can consider multi-coloring, mixed shades, and different patterns. Make sure you have a plan first, and then work towards achieving the plan.

2. Choosing The Right Color

There are numerous shades of colors in the world. Trying to make a choice can be sometimes confusing, but you should have options that can help narrow down your choice.

Start by deciding if you want a light or dark color, a warm shade or a cool shade, plain or mixed colors.

Also, if you have furniture and artworks in the room, you may have to check to see that your choice of color suits the color of the existing things in the room.

Once you find a color you think is suitable, get a sample of it and test it on the wall to observe how it looks during the day and at night.

There are paint companies that allow you to upload a photo of your space on their websites and apply different color shades to make things easier.

3. Choose Your Tools

Depending on the method of painting you want to use, and the condition of the space you want to paint, the tools you should choose for the job differ. However, there are some necessary materials that you should have before you can successfully paint a room;

• Paint
• Paintbrushes
• Rollers
• Drop cloths
• Rags
• Putty knife
• Painter’s tape
• Paint tray
• Sandpaper
• Roller extension poles.

4. Determine The Amount Of Paint You Need

You do not want to be stuck midway painting with an empty paint bucket. You also do not want to have so many leftovers. To avoid these, you need to have an estimate of the exact or approximate amount of paint you will need.

As a general rule of thumb, the estimate is one gallon per 400 square feet. To get a more accurate quantity, there are paint calculators that can help or you can get painting contractors in London to help out.

For a highly textured surface, you need a little extra amount — a deep color also requires more coat than a light color.

5. Prepare The Walls And The Room

Certainly, you need to clear the space you intend painting. If there is furniture that can obstruct, you should take them out. If the available working space is limited, you can move everything to the center of the room.

Cover the floors properly to avoid splatters of paint staining the floor. Use old papers and drop cloths to wrap the items that are left in the room.

Use a roll of painter’s tape to seal the edges of the room corners, base and crown moldings. Also, cover the window and door casings. Remove light switch covers and apply tapes to protect the switches.

After applying the paint, you can then carefully remove these tapes.

6. Mixing the Paint

Use a wooden paint stick to mix the paint by properly stirring. If you are applying more than a gallon, pour all contents of the gallons in a large bucket and mix properly in case there is a slight difference in color.

7. Choose The Technique To Use

Different techniques can be used during painting — it is better to stick to a particular technique throughout the painting process. Starting from the ceilings, you can work from the top of the room down.

If you are planning a bold focal wall, paint the light-colored walls first, so that if you get light paint spilled on the part that should be dark-colored, the dark color paint can cover it up. After painting the light-colored part, use a tape around the edges before starting the dark color. Finish a wall at a time.

When applying the paint with the rollers, you can use the W technique to cover ample parts.

After the first coating dries, you can then apply the second coat. If you also want to paint the trim, remove the painter’s tape and allow the walls to dry before taping the walls. Then start painting the trim from the one closest to the ceiling, move to the doors, windows, and finally the baseboards.

8. Proper Ventilation

Ensure that the space you are painting is properly ventilated throughout the painting process. A well-aerated room helps speed up the drying process. Keep the windows open and turn on the fans.

9. Clean Up

After the painting exercise, you do not need to relax and take the day off just yet.  Remove all the tapes used, gather all drop cloths and rags, and gather all paintbrushes and buckets.

Clean the brushes using soap and water for latex and water-based paints. For oil-based paints, you will need mineral spirits to clean the brushes.

A painter’s brush can be used to reshape deformed bristles. Clean all paint splutters on the floor.

10. Budget Good Time For The Project

You do not want to hurry up and mess things up. Budget a lot of time for this project. Depending on the room size you are painting, the kind of painting you are doing, and your skill, the time for painting varies.

Using a dark shade will consume more time than using a light or neutral shade. Painting can take extended hours to a few days. Make sure you add extra time for the cleanup process after the painting.

If you discover that you may not have enough time to do the painting, Paint Works in London is willing to help you with the stress. You can simply contact them to help you out. DIY Painting can be fun, exciting, and of course, it can save money.