Psst! Want to know a secret? We have gotten some of the top house painters in Calgary to spill their secrets and show us how to paint your home like a pro!
From golf balls to turning detective, house painting is a lot more complicated, you think. So, before you even get started, check out these tips!
Clean The Walls
One of the things newbie painters often neglect is giving the walls a damned good sugar soaping before paint.
To achieve a professional level job, it is important to think like a pro. This means getting the walls clean before you even spill one drop of paint on them.
Painting onto a dirty wall will result in peeling. Also, it will not bond as well. Likewise, fill any cracks well before you start.
Figure Out What Paint Was There Before
You probably didn’t think that home painting meant going forensic, but there is more to it than you might think. And before even buying any paint, you need to know what was there before. There are two main types of paint, latex and oil-based. And you don’t want to mix them.
The way to test is to soak a cotton wool ball in some rubbing alcohol and put it on a small wall section. If paint comes off, then it’s latex paint. If it doesn’t budge, you have an oil-based paint and use an oil primer to prep your walls.
Prime It Right
Newbies make the mistake of just slapping paint on the walls, but this is a mistake. It needs priming, and, it needs priming right.
If it’s a brand-new wall, use a water-based primer. If it’s water damaged outdoor wall, use oil primer, and see the previous tip for internal walls.
Also, pick a tinted primer, as it will cover the old paint better than white does. This will help you paint fewer coats in the long run.
Add A Paint Extender
Paint extender is one of the best-kept secrets of house painting pros. This is the way to eliminate lap marks forever.
It also delays the drying process – this might sound like a bad thing, but trust us, it’s not. Ultimately, this will give you more chance to correct blotches and mistakes.
And it will banish all brush strokes!
Prep The Paint Right
There is so much more than just opening the tin of paint and putting it on the wall. First, it needs to be prepped.
The first thing you need to know is how to mix it. If you are using more than one tin, it should be combined in a bucket before use. It might surprise you to know that there can be subtle differences between the same paint tins, so mixing ensures evenness.
When mixing, the paint should be stirred with a DIY stirrer for best results. Our top tip is put holes in them, to mix the paint more evenly.
Paint drying out is the scourge of the professional decorator. There are various ways to prevent this. Believe it or not, pros place golf balls into the paint tins, to cover the air space,
Not a golf fan? You can cling wrap the lid and seal it, then store the painting upside down.
Wash But Don’t Wash Your Rollers?
Confused? Well, it is a bit, for sure, but the stellar advice from our experts is that although rollers should be washed thoroughly before use, from new, when there is color on them, they shouldn’t be washed – until the end of the job.
Whilst you are still on the go, keep the rollers (or brushes) from drying by clinging them in plastic kitchen bags – or foil. These can be put in the fridge, but allow them to come to room temperature before using them again!
Did you try any of these tips? Did they work? I would be fascinated to see what you think!
If you can’t follow the pro steps, why not try with the beginner one HERE.