Whilst it may seem like painting a room is mainly a case of slapping paint on the walls, it is actually a much finer a process. You will find that ensuring that you are careful with it all will mean that you are well placed to get the job done really well, but if you are slap dash with the whole process, then you stand to make a real mess, very easily. There can be surpassingly professional results if you do the job in the right way, so it is well worth having a look over the following tips and tricks to ensure that you are getting off to a good start with the job by getting your head around how you are going to do it before you begin. Remember, take your time and don’t be too hasty, as you can really screw this up very easily!
For a start, you need to be really well prepared for the job. Remove the furniture form the room, cover everything that is not going to be painted in dust sheets, from the floor to any furniture that you can’t take out of the room. Give yourself space to work in and be sure to wear the right clothes, if you are worried about getting paint on your shoes whilst you are painting, then you will be less focussed on getting the job done well. Preparing the walls by washing, filling and sanding them is essential as well. Dirt can make certain sections dry a different color, completely marring what may well have been a great job otherwise.
The masking part of the job is where you will first start to really affect the professional quality of the job however. You need to be sure to get everything masked of perfectly before you start, as otherwise, the lines between paint and fittings or the corners in the walls and the ceilings will look rough, and the job will suddenly become a very amateurish one! Whilst no one looks carefully at the joins between the paint and the ceiling, or the light switches, you will need to be sure to get it all right, as otherwise the overall impression of the room will not be as good as it should. When you are painting, you will need to ensure that you don’t rely too heavily on the masking however. Use it more as a guide than as protection, and ensure that you don’t heap the paint over the tape too heavily, as sometimes the paint will sleep under the tape, and make a mess of your lines! Remove the tape carefully when the paint is pretty much dry, but don’t leave it on for too long, or it will take the paint underneath it off!
When you are painting large surfaces, use a roller, and ensure that you roll it back and forwards when you are applying the paint in the tray to get an even coverage on the roller. When putting the paint on the walls, ensure that the paint is applied evenly, as otherwise the texture of the paint on the wall can be inconsistent across the surface. You will find that it is best to get as close to the tape as possible with your roller, but don’t risk going over it, nor hitting the ceiling with the roller! Use a smaller brush to fill in the detailing, again, ensuring that the paint stays a similar thickness in these areas.