So you’ve decided to take the DIY approach and paint the interior walls of your house! If this is your first time tackling such a project, you may think it looks easy, based on what you’ve seen on cable TV home makeover shows. Isn’t it amazing how an entire room can be painted and everything moved back into perfect place in just one hour? However, in the real world, painting even a small space requires a good deal of careful planning and preparation. And even those who have some experience perhaps didn’t get the result they expected because they missed one or more key steps in the process.
In the interest of setting up your project for success, our house painting experts at The Paint Manager offer this guide of common interior painting mistakes to avoid. Prevention is always easier than correction!
Mistakes in Paint Selection
This may seem fairly straightforward. You find a color you like based on the color chips on display in the home improvement center’s paint department or paint store and buy it. Yet the color of the paint itself differs from that of the color chip – which isn’t painted, it’s printed on heavy stock paper. Because it isn’t real paint on a real wall, the color can’t be accurate – it’s just a close approximation.
Spare yourself the shock, disappointment and expense of discovering this too late by asking for paint samples of the colors that interest you, and “audition” them at home. You’ll be painting the wall anyway, so brush some generous swatches of each color to see the actual shade, and how each looks in the room’s lighting conditions during different times of day and evening. Wall texture can also affect how paint color appears.
If you don’t want to apply paint samples directly to the wall, home improvement expert Lee Walender recommends cutting large squares of coated posterboard, taping them to the wall, and painting them. One advantage of this option is that you can move the squares around the room to see the color in various lights.
The few dollars you may have to spend on paint samples will be well worth avoiding the expense of repainting if you don’t like the color that looked so good on the chip once it’s on your walls – or the resignation of living with it if repainting isn’t feasible!
Inadvertently choosing the wrong color isn’t the only pitfall. As our blog post – “How to Choose Interior Paint” – covers, you must also select the right type of paint for the project. Paint comes in two main types – water-based and oil-based. Each type has advantages and disadvantages. Water-based paint is less expensive than oil-based, dries quickly, and resists cracking, fading and discoloration – but isn’t quite as durable. Oil-based paints are highly durable and provide a glossy surface, if that’s the effect you want to create – but can crack if the surface underneath shrinks (as can happen with wood), and may eventually yellow.
After the paint type, you need to select the correct paint finish for your interiors. The main types of finishes are matte (flat), eggshell, satin, semi-gloss and high gloss. The previously mentioned blog post describes each in detail. The function of the room to be painted typically has a strong influence on what type of finish should be used. For example, one common mistake is using matte paint for kitchens and baths. Semi-gloss is the preferred choice in these rooms, as they’re subjected to high moisture, drips and grease stains. This durable finish is moisture-resistant and easy to wipe clean without rubbing off the paint over time – as would happen with a matte finish in a kitchen.
Mistakes in Prep Work
Doing proper preparation work is crucial to DIY painting success, says painting company owner Cate Griffing of West Magnolia Charm. “I see DIYers do this all the time. They don’t take the time to gather all the supplies together. Then they begin the project only to realize they have forgotten something. Now, they have to stop what they are doing to go retrieve what is needed. The back and forth is not only wasting time but it’s also creating extra work.”
Disorganization can create a safety hazard, as well. Forgetting a ladder may lead you to improvise and use a chair or other unstable object to reach the top of a wall. Professional painters make sure they have all the supplies they need at the work site before starting the job. You should, too!
Other major mistakes Griffing identifies include:
- Not inspecting the walls for imperfections, such as holes, cracks, etc., then correcting them by spackling, caulking and sanding.
- Not cleaning the walls – especially in kitchens and baths. Grease, oils, hairspray, etc., accumulate on the walls of these rooms, which makes cleaning them a necessity before painting.
- Not using primer. Not all painting projects require a stand-alone primer. However, there are certain cases that do – such as painting bare drywall, covering dark or vibrant colors, or painting over glossy finishes, wood and plaster.
- Not using drop cloths to protect your flooring. No matter how careful you try to be, paint will drip – whether you use a roller or brush. “It may seem like a pain, but the few minutes it takes to put down drop cloths will save you hours of scrubbing stubborn paint splatter off the floors later on,” Griffing says.
- Not using painter’s tape. “If you want a top-notch, professional-looking painting job, do not skip using real painter’s tape. Taping allows you to get those crisp, clean, straight lines that we so desire.” To prevent paint from bleeding, seal tightly around baseboards, windows and molding. Secure tape with a putty knife instead of your fingers for best results.
Mistakes in Application Technique
Once you have all of your supplies and equipment together, and the walls are ready to be painted, improper paint application can still spoil the quality of your result! The following mistakes to avoid come from Griffing, home design expert Marie Proeller Hueston for Bob Villa, and Family Handyman.
- Buying cheap applicators. Trying to save money by buying low-quality brushes and rollers is false economy. They won’t apply paint properly, and may shed bristles or become unusable halfway through the process. Investing in good applicators will pay off!
- Dunking your paintbrush. When you submerge a paintbrush entirely in paint, the paint can dry in the bristles and be harder to clean later. Also, a large dunk for a roller can mat down the roller. Instead, only dip your paintbrush about a third of the way into the can.
- Not painting in the right order. Painting walls, ceilings and trim in the wrong order can cause such issues as paint drips and uneven coverage. Always start with the ceiling, next move on to the walls, and finally the trim. When painting the walls, follow this order: top to bottom, left to right.
- Bumping your roller into the ceiling as you paint the walls. Roll on a horizontal strip of paint parallel to the ceiling first. Then roll vertically up to the horizontal strip. The 9-inch-wide strip of paint along the ceiling will give you a good buffer zone.
- Bumping your roller onto the floor as you paint the walls. If you’re painting new walls before the baseboard is installed, leave an unpainted strip along the bottom where it will be covered by the baseboard. If you try to paint too close to the floor, your roller cover could touch it and pick up dirt, lint and hair that you will then spread across the wall.
- Over-brushing – that is, brushing over the same area, especially after the paint has started to dry. This causes unsightly brush marks and ridges. For the smoothest possible finish when you’re painting woodwork, doors or cabinets, load the brush and quickly cover an area with paint. Then use a stroke or two to level it off.
- Applying a single coat of paint. Today’s high-quality paints can provide single-coat coverage if you use a primer. However, if you don’t use primer or are applying a lighter shade over a dark color, two coats may be necessary.
Not Up to Painting Like a Pro? Call Our Pros!
Some homeowners have the experience, skill, equipment and time to successfully tackle a DIY interior paint job. But there’s no shame if you don’t! That’s our job! The Paint Manager has been proudly serving Central Florida homeowners for over 20 years with experienced, dedicated and professional services that include exterior and interior house painting, roof repair and cleaning, drywall repair, popcorn ceiling texture removal, cabinet refinishing and so much more!
Plus, become a member of The Paint Manager to receive a 15% year-‘round member’s discount. Contact us to learn more about our services and membership discount offer. We look forward to meeting you!