At some point or another, most of us have attempted DIY painting jobs either in our own homes, or those of family members and/or friends. Sadly, the general conclusion is that DIY paint jobs never really turn out quite the way that we hoped that they would, and you will most likely have left the room with uneven colour tones on the walls, a few paint stripes on the ceiling, the carpet, the floor and/or the light switch.
In some cases, you may have even ended up with paint on objects and belongings that really should have been covered up before the paint job started!
That being said, it’s not always easy finding a painter that is available and reliable enough to come paint our homes. It can, depending on where you found the expert, be quite expensive too.
In the current situation created by COVID-19, we have all been confined to our homes and sometimes, some of us, to pass the time, decide that now is the perfect time to finally get some of that DIY stuff we’ve been planning, up and running!
In fact, a very common renovation that has been made to homes across the nation over this past year is a paint job.
Painting a room either with the same colour as before, to freshen it up, a brighter colour to lighten up the room, or a darker colour to set a different tone, changes the feel of the room, no matter which one you choose.
Whether you are planning on just changing the colour of the walls in the room or planning a complete make-over, a new paint job can make us feel more at home and happier with our choice.
However, during these trying times, it is definitely more difficult to find a professional painter who is capable and willing to come to our home to paint, and even if you could find one, you may not be comfortable with letting someone into your home who doesn’t absolutely have to be there.
If that is the case, then this is definitely the article for you!
You shouldn’t have to wait till the end of the pandemic to get the home that you want and here at CanCan, we know how a new paint job can help with our moods and during these unprecedented times, anything that can help alleviate our mood, even just a little bit, is definitely worth it!
So, for you and your walls’ benefit, here is a list of tips to help make all your DIY house painting jobs go swimmingly:
Don’t Start Painting Yet!
Although it’s not the fun part and most of us cannot wait to get the paint brush and roller doing their thing on the walls, it is very important to spend the time preparing the walls before you paint!
You will have to check over all of them, maybe even passing a rag over them to make sure that there are no discreet cobwebs, hairs, or other things that could cause lumps to appear in your paint job. Once they are there, it will take an uncertain amount of coats before they are no longer visible and trust us when we say that once you know that they are there, that is all you will ever notice on your wall!
Preparing the walls is definitely the first step, but you will have to remember to prepare the rest of the room too. If you can, buying painter’s tape to cover all of your light switches and edges will ensure that your paint job is as clean as possible.
Also, setting down covers or simply moving the things that you do not want to get damaged with paint is always a good idea. You may think that they are far enough from the action, but accidents do happen and prevention is always better than the cure!
Prepare Yourself for Painting, Too
No matter how careful you are, paint has a way of getting everywhere! Make sure to wear old clothes that you no longer care about or often use for work and if needed, tie up your hair.
Some paints are relatively easy to wash out but you do not want to spend the next week scrubbing your head in the shower, trying the get the living room colour out of your roots!
There are of course plenty of cheap options out there for paint jobs, but you will soon find out why you seemingly got such a good deal on those tools!
Rollers that fall off of their holder, bristles that fall out of the painting brush and paint that peels and tears quickly are all nightmarish things to happen, especially when you have taken the time and the care to do everything else as well as possible.
Be Ready to Wipe During ALL DIY Painting Jobs
Keep rags at the ready for any wiping jobs! Even with all of the prep in the world and the care that you owe it, sometimes we do colour out of the lines and leave traces of paint where they shouldn’t be.
That’s nothing to feel bad about! You may have noticed that even professional painters carry rags in their pockets just in case! Whatever you have done, having a rag in hand ready to wipe away any mistakes as quickly as possible will reduce the chance of the misplaced paint leaving a long lasting trace!
Make Time to Clean and Tidy
After a long time painting, we all generally just want to fall onto the couch and rest! However, your tools will thank you for keeping them as clean and fresh as possible. Should you later realise that you may need to add an extra coat of paint or do a few touch ups here and there, then having your clean paintbrush and good paint still in their best condition will be the best thing for you!
Leaving them out to spoil, harden and break is a huge and unnecessary waste!