When painting your home, there are some strategic procedures that you use in order to ensure that your home is nicely cared-for and that your paint lasts for as many years as possible.
Good painting begins long before you even lay your first coat of paint. It requires planning, cleaning and plenty of prep work when you are finished with the top coat of paint. Here are some step-by-step guidelines to ensuring that you have the most professional outcome from all of your hard work.
First, you will need to select the colors for your space. Visit local homes and office spaces to get a good idea of what is most trendy in your area. Research different paint colors and the effect they can have on a room. Once you have a few colors narrowed down, visit your local home improvement or paint store to pick up some take-home swatches. Live for a few days in your home with these swatches on the wall to help you get a better feel for what works best for you.
Picking up swatches is important because, often times, you will love a color in the store, but get home and find that it is too bright or too dark for your space. Also, you may find that some colors simply to not fit well with your furniture or accessories.
The second major step towards a professional-looking paint job is in the preparation work. It is important that you sufficiently prepare your space before applying the first coat of primer paint. To prepare your space, make sure that the under layers of existing paint are sufficiently stripped. You may need to sand the wall or use an alcohol-based solvent to remove any paint that is uneven or inconsistent. In the very least, you should wipe the wall surface clean with a cleansing agent to remove any dust, dirt or residue that could interfere with the durability of your new coats of paint.
Next, protect your area. When protecting your area, you will need to lay a layer of plastic or cloth on the floor and over furniture. The cloth must be a thick and durable material so that paint does not seep through onto your belongings. If you are painting trim, then you may want to tape around the border of the trim so that paint does not run off. Creating a nice border is important to the overall look and feel of your painting job.
Next, you will actually set up your materials. Make sure that all paint buckets and roller pans are secure so that they do not tip. Using nice materials will facilitate a nicer paint job than using inexpensive materials, so it’s a good idea to invest in quality.
Using a roller, start by rolling a box shape onto your wall. Fill in the box and proceed to a new area. Make sure that you are working in a well-lit area so that you can see the entire wall surface. Total, you will need a minimum of three coats – one primer coat and two layers of topcoat. Have fun – and pay attention to detail when painting your space!