5 Must try painting tricks
Painting is one of the most impactful and cost effective ways to change up your space - especially if you do it yourself! Sure, we would all love to be able to hire painters and save ourselves the time and effort, but maybe it’s not in the budget, or maybe you plan to paint one small wall and can get it done quickly on your own. (Doesn’t it feel so satisfying seeing the results of your hard work??).
In my recent ongoing project, Berkeley Pointe, I decided to paint two recessed walls around the fireplace to make it pop and add some interest to this builder home. I needed it to look professional, but wanted to save the client some money. Here’s how it turned out!
Color: After Hours by Backdrop
Before I started applying paint to the walls, I Google’d, YouTube’d and did my research. Here are the 5 best tips I learned to paint your walls like a pro:
1.Clear away the dust. Wipe down the wall and baseboard with a microfiber towel to remove any dust or grime before you start. And don’t forget the roller! Even if it’s brand new, take a piece of painter’s tape and run it over the roller a few times to remove any loose fuzz.
2.Tape and caulk. I learned this on YouTube and it is a game changer. If you are trying to get a clean line between two colors on two walls or between the wall and ceiling, tape off your edges first with painters tape. Then run a bead of clear latex caulk down the seam using a caulk gun. Run your finger over the line to smooth it out and really press it into the seam. Paint immediately after while the caulk is still wet.
I used Dynaflex DAP 230 clear
3.Pull the tape while the paint is wet. This was another tip I learned on the internet that made a big difference. I always thought to let the paint dry but if you do, it has a better chance of seeping through the cracks especially on textured walls. As soon as you finish painting the edge, pull the tape off in a gradual fluid motion from the top of the wall down to the bottom.
4.Roll in the shape of a “W.” When rolling paint on a large wall, don’t roll straight up and down. Instead, roll the paint in the shape of a large W and then fill in with vertical lines. This ensures a smooth coat and no uneven coloring.
5.Scrape the roller. Before you go rinsing the paint-soaked roller out in the sink, grab a paint scraper tool with a half-circle cutout. Scrape along the roller several times to remove excess paint onto the tray before pouring back into the can. You’ll be shocked how much paint you save!
And always always lay down a tarp! My favorite thing Garrett said while we were painting was, “Anywhere you think you won’t spill, you will.”
Good luck everyone! Let me know in the comments if you found this helpful.
