Six Mistakes to Avoid When Painting a Room | RichNSpect

If you want to spruce up a drab room in your home, there are few cheaper, or faster, ways of doing so than adding a new lick of paint. Unfortunately however, painting a room is only cheap if you do it yourself. And not everyone knows how to get the most out of the job.

Though painting walls certainly isn?t rocket science, there are a number of mistakes that can easily be made. And when you make them, calling what you are doing home improvement becomes a bit of a stretch. If you want professional results, you need to avoid amateur mistakes. Here are six things not to do when painting a room.

Choosing the Wrong Shade

Sometimes it can be difficult to really judge a colour until it?s actually on your walls. Never rush into choosing a shade of paint and never base your decision upon a piece of paper. Take a sample home with you, or multiple samples, and paint a square foot of your wall. Consider how well the shade blends with your ceiling, floor and furnishings.

Failing to Prepare

When it comes to painting a room, preparation is key.

• You cannot expect a professional result if you paint over a dirty surface. Clean your walls thoroughly before getting out your paintbrush.
• Unless you are painting over walls that are light and neutral, primer is essential. If you skip it, you won?t get the true shade that you picked out in store.

Making a Mess

It doesn?t matter how careful you are, paint always manages to find it?s way onto the surfaces that you are trying to keep clean. Counter measures are therefore essential.

• Use drop cloths to cover everything valuable.
• Cover door knobs with plastic bags.
• Tape corners, edges, light switches and electrical outlets before painting near them.

Using the Wrong Tools

If you want a professional result, you need to use the right tools.

• If you?re painting over a wide area, use a roller, not a paintbrush. Not only is painting with a roller significantly faster, they allow you to apply paint much more evenly.
• For the parts of your walls that require the use of a paintbrush, use one with a nylon/polyester blend. For best results, don?t just dip the brush into the paint. Always dip the bristles in water and shake the brush dry before each use.

Only Applying a Single Coat

Though you can occasionally get away with a single coat of paint, in general, you?re going to need two. In fact, for darker shades, three or four coats is sometimes required. The only way to judge whether or not your walls are finished is to let the paint dry and look over them carefully in natural light. In particular, be on the look out for uneven colour and sections where the paint is too thin.

Running out of Paint

Finally, one of the most common painting mistakes is simply not buying enough of it. Experts suggest that a gallon of paint is required for every four hundred square feet of wall. Don?t end up making multiple trips to the store, calculate exactly how much paint you are going to need before purchasing anything.

The article is written by Sarah Jones, home improvement expert and home maker. She recommends Empire Company to get your new home or Condos in Toronto.

Source: http://www.richnspect.com/six-mistakes-to-avoid-when-painting-a-room

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