Deciding on repainting your home can induce both excitement and anxiety. Tackling any home improvement project on your own can be a challenging task if you have little to no experience with the task at hand. Painting especially has more to it than one might suppose. In an effort to assist you on your endeavor, we at Bill Engler Painting have listed the do’s and don’ts of DIY painting.
Painting Do’s
– Know the color of paint before committing to a particular shade. Buy a quart of paint of the color you think you want and perform a test. Simply paint a foam board and hold it up to the wall in different lighting around the room to see if it’s worth committing to. Do this during different times of the day. If you are happy with the color, purchase the appropriate quantity.
– Painting prep work. Make the walls bare and push as much furniture as you can out of the room or at into the center of the room before commencing on the painting project. Remove dust and spots from the walls by wiping them down and ensure they are dry before you start to paint. Tape the outlets, light switches, edges and moldings. Cover floors with drop cloths and plastic sheets as well.
– Remove hardware. Remove the hardware around the room where surfaces are being painted. This includes the switch plates, doorknobs, curtain hardware, etc. Place them together in a bag.
– Organize all of your equipment that is required and keep it on a plastic sheet to create your painting station. Paint, trays, brushes, rollers, extensions, painter’s tape, ladders, painting stir sticks, rags, paint thinner, paint can opener, screwdrivers, hammers, and anything you are partial to use for your project.
– Invest in a high quality painting tray and line it with disposable liners, it is well worth the cost for better results and making painting clean up a breeze.
– Wear your rags. Avoid ruining your nice clothes, as paint will inevitably splatter or worse on you and land on your clothing.
– Keep extra paint on hand for touch-ups and inexpensive foam or painter’s brushes come in handy for quick fixes.
Painting Don’ts
– Don’t rush your project. Make sure you plan enough time … and take your time. Expect to take the whole day to avoid the chaos. By taking your time and working at a slower place, your paint job will look better and less mistakes and messes will be made.
– Painting out of order will cause dysfunction and inferior results. It is recommended that you start with the ceiling, walls, door, floor boards, and floor if you are painting the entire room.
– Don’t skip the primer. It is to your advantage that you prime the walls before applying the paint, especially if you are going from dark to light.
– Don’t paint over wallpaper. Where it might be tempting to paint over wallpaper, don’t do it. Remove as much wallpaper as possible before you start painting. If the wallpaper is stubborn and you have tried several methods, sand away any frayed edges and prime.
– Don’t forget to ventilate. Make sure all available windows and doors are open as well as ensuring the fans and other means of ventilation devices are operating to escape the fumes.
– Don’t forget to allow adequate curing. Permit a minimum of 24 hours for walls to dry before putting the furniture back, reinstalling your hardware and hanging your wall accessories. Allow 30 days to cure before wiping or cleaning walls.
– Don’t neglect your brushes and rollers if you plan to re-use them again. Thoroughly clean your implements as soon as possible to keep them usable.
– Don’t dispose of your paint unsafely. If you choose to not hold on to your paint, make sure they are discarded correctly.
– Don’t attempt to replace the lid until the rim has been wiped cleaned, hammer it down with a rag placed on top so splatters are instantly contained.
Interior & Exterior Painting in Bechtelsville, Bernville, Birdsboro, Blandon, Bowers, Boyertown, Centerport, Douglassville, Earlville, Fleetwood, Geigertown, Hamburg, Hereford, Kempton, Kutztown, Leesport, Lenhartsville, Limekiln, Lyon Station, Maxatawny, Mertztown, Mohnton, Mohrsville, Morgantown, Muhlenberg, New Berlinville, Oley, Rehrersburg, Robesonia, Shartlesville, Shillington, Shoemakersville, Strausstown, Temple, Topton, Virginville, Wernersville, Womelsdorf, Wyomissing & Greater Reading, Pennsylvania
To avoid the mayhem and labor ahead, contact Bill Engler Painting today and let us conduct your home’s painting project!
