If you love doing DIY projects around your home, you’re likely willing to sacrifice a little on quality in order to save some money and learn some skills that you might be able to use in the future. But while some home improvement projects will obviously be better done or more efficient when done by a professional, there are some projects where you can give a professional a run for their money by using some helpful tips and tricks.
So although a professional interior painter might be able to get your project completed quicker and with less mess, here are three DIY painting tips for professional-looking interior paint done all on your own.
Do The Right Prep Work
The best way to ensure that you’ll have a great final product once you’re done painting is by doing the right prep work before you even open up your first can of paint.
According to DIY Network, the most important piece of prep work to do before painting the walls of your home is to make sure they’re clean and smooth. If your walls are dirty, they won’t hold onto the paint as well and the paint won’t go on smoothly. To combat this, make sure you thoroughly wash your walls and ceiling the day before you plan on painting and that use you a sander or sandpaper to smooth any rough spots from filling holes in the wall.
Maintain A “Wet Edge” While Painting
Every person is going to have a slightly different technique when it comes to painting a wall. However, there is one technique that everyone should employ if they’re wanting to avoid uneven streaking on their walls.
By maintaining a “wet edge”, you’ll be able to keep the paint from building up in certain areas and causing streaking or uneven coverage on your walls. To best do this, FamilyHandyman.com advises that you roll the full height of the wall you’re painting with each stroke and that you start a new stroke right next to the previous one before it has time to dry.
Get Yourself A Work Light
Although you might have started your painting project while there was still a lot of daylight left, painting the interior of your home often takes longer than people anticipate. If you’re not prepared for this, you might find that you begin working with inadequate lighting, which can result in a bad final product.
To keep this from happening to you, Brett Martin and Ezra Dyer, contributors to Popular Mechanics, recommend that you bring in a work light that you can shine on the area you’re currently painting, This will help you to avoid missing any spots that otherwise might have appeared as a trick by the light.
If you’re going to be painting the interior of your home soon, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you complete the job like a professional.
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