Easy Guide For Painting Walls Of Your Home
Beginning DIYs, new homeowners, and seasoned home renovation professionals all need to know how to paint a space effectively. After all, it’s generally painless, affordable, and simple to correct if something goes badly wrong.
But before you pick your roller and start rolling on your first coat, make sure you have a strategy in place. To help you start, we contacted a few experts for their finest painting techniques and methods.
The most common mistake homeowners make is purchasing low-cost tools that do not produce satisfactory results, or purchasing low-cost paint that results in a subpar completed product.
Continue reading to learn how to paint a wall and what you’ll need to do to ensure a successful project.
Step-by-step
If you’re planning on doing some painting and decorating shortly, as many people are at this time of year, both homeowners and specialists, the first step is to make sure you’re adequately equipped.
There are few things more frustrating than being halfway through a painting project and finding you’re missing a crucial piece of equipment. If you are ready to perform the task, then follow this easy step-by-step guide. Keep reading!
Create an action plan
Begin by visualizing the finished product, keeping in mind that you aren’t limited to four walls or a single color scheme. Imagine painting a strong accent wall or accentuating moldings with a different color or finish.
Pro-tip
Also, don’t forget to check the ceiling to see if it requires a refresh or a new look.
Pick your favorite color
It can be intimidating to look through fan decks and see paint flaking. To begin, identify the general contrast and brightness: Do you like a warm or cold color? Saturated or neutral?
If you have any old furniture or artwork, think about how the hue will look with it. Pick a few hues and request samples once you’ve figured out what you want—many direct-to-consumer firms will send you sticky swatches you can slap on the wall to get a better feel of the shade.
Pro-tip
Test the colors in the space at different times of day to see how they seem.
Choose your supplies and tools
Every project is different and depending on the paint you choose and the state of your walls, you may require various tools, but there are a few must-haves:
- painter’s roller
- Extension pole for paint roller
- Tablecloths
- Paintbrushes
- Sandpaper, paint pan
- Tape for painting
- Rags
Calculate how much paint you’ll require
According to Carl Minchew, vice president of color innovation and design at Benjamin Moore, the usual rule of thumb for painting a guest room or the exterior of your home is one gallon per 400 square feet. However, this is only a general guideline.
To help limit the number of applications, she suggests using a gray-tinted primer before painting your walls a vibrant hue. You may have read that the glossier the finish, the higher the coverage rate. However, Minchew says there isn’t enough of a difference to impact the number of gallons you need to buy.
Pro-tip
Use a paint calculator to acquire a more accurate number, which you’ll need for major projects. Window and door specifications are taken into account by paint calculators.
Prepare the room and the walls
If you don’t want to ruin your favorite sofa or the antique Grandma gave you, remove everything from the room. Push everything to the center of the room if you do not have enough space to rearrange anything.
Cover the pieces with a drop cloth or thin plastic sheeting, as well as the floor and any cupboards or worktops that may be vulnerable to splatter. To protect outlets and buttons from paint drips, remove lighting fixtures and outlet covers and cover them with painter’s tape.
Pro-tip
Keep in mind how to repair drywall before you begin so you can patch any nicks in the walls.
Make a paint mixture
Using a wooden paint stick, stir the paint and re-stir as necessary during the job. Paint that isn’t constantly swirled can cause the ingredients to separate, affecting the real color you’re after.
Pro-tip
If you’re using more than one bottle of paint, mix the cans in a large bucket to avoid color variations.
Select your painting methods
Your paint is blended and your roller is ready, but before you begin, make sure you have a strategy in mind. Beginning with the ceilings, work your way down the room. Are you planning a striking focal wall?
First, paint the adjacent light-colored walls. Don’t worry if you get paint on your accent wall—the black paint will cover up any lighter paint that may have gotten on there. Line off that border once the lighter wall cures so the darker color doesn’t leak over your new paint.
Pro-tip
Plan on three coats if you’re covering dark walls with a brighter color: your primer, plus two applications of the new color, to make sure nothing shows through.
Remember to include ventilation
It’s not fun to watch paint dry. To keep your space well aired throughout the project, open windows and use fans. The cousins suggest keeping the room warm and having a fan blowing helps speed up the drying process.
Pro-tip
When it’s raining, the paint will take much longer to dry.
Clean up
You’ve applied several coats, but it’s not quite time to unwind. Discard all painter’s tape and collect drop cloths, ensuring that any spills or splatters are completely dry before moving them. Clean your paintbrush with soapy water for latex and water-based paints, but with mineral spirits for oil-based paints.
Pro-tip
To clean and reshape the bristles, use a painter’s brush.
Conclusion
The length of time it takes to complete your job is determined by the size of the space, the method you use to paint, and your skill level. Using a dark color on the walls and repainting the ceiling and trim, for example, will take longer than simply painting the walls a neutral hue.
Some sites can be finished in a few hours, while others can take many days. Make sure you choose good-quality tools such as a wool paintbrush and roller. Make a budget for more time than you think the project will take, and don’t forget to account for prep and cleanup.
