The experts are the only ones who are privy to all of the industry’s best-kept secrets; hence, we consulted with a few of them to assist you paint every wall like a pro.
Because they are aware that time is money, professional painters like alextrendpainters.ie frequently employ trade secrets to assist them in figuring out how to paint a space more quickly, intelligently, and neatly without compromising the quality of their work or making mistakes that are costly. We reached out to a number of experienced painters and requested that they provide us with some of their most treasured painting strategies and advice. Continue reading to learn the top 20 professional painting secrets.
Sandpaper ought to be used on defects.
It is necessary to begin with a surface that is absolutely smooth in order to apply a layer of paint that is perfectly smooth to walls, ceilings, and woodwork. Because he spends so much time moving sandpaper around, one of the industry experts we spoke with suggested that a more appropriate job title for him would be “sander” rather than “painting.”
Sanding with the right abrasive paper helps to level out patches made of spackling compound and drywall joint compound, flattens ridges around nail holes, and feathers out fixes so that they merge inconspicuously with the surrounding surface. Sanding painted wood trim, such as baseboard mouldings, window and door casings, and other similar components, removes burrs and rough areas from the surface of the wood. In addition, if you use sandpaper with a fine grain, you may rough up a glossy painted surface, which will make it easier for the fresh paint layer to adhere.
Sand the walls vertically from the baseboard all the way up to the ceiling using a sanding pole that has been equipped with sandpaper that has a grit of 220. Be cautious to slightly overlap each stroke to prevent missing any locations when you’re painting. Sanding should then be done in a horizontal direction along the top of the baseboard moulding as well as along the tops of the walls at the ceiling. Be careful not to apply too much force to the sanding pole, as this might cause the swivelling head to tip over, causing damage to the wall. In addition, if you press down too hard on the sandpaper, it has a tendency to load up (clog).
Sanding beautiful woodwork is best accomplished using a sanding sponge because of its ability to quickly adhere to shapes and get into tight spaces.
Put Pressure on the Tape Using a Putty Knife
Painter’s tape is an essential component of any painting project, but it is especially important for masking off wood trim before painting. But nothing is more frustrating than pulling off the tape only to find that paint has flowed through the tape and gone all over the trim. This is the most depressing thing that can happen. Before beginning to paint, make sure that the tape is properly adhered to the trim by performing a thorough job of doing so. This will allow you to avoid the laborious task of scraping off the wayward paint, which can be a real pain in the neck.
After applying the tape to the wood trim, firmly pressing it down with a putty knife in order to create a watertight seal is the next step. That will prevent any bleeding of the paint. In addition to that, make sure that you use painter’s tape rather than masking tape. The residue that masking tape leaves behind is sticky and difficult to remove completely. In addition, paint can cause masking tape to collapse and wrinkle, which opens the door for paint to infiltrate under the tape. Painter’s tape can be left on for days (some varieties can even be kept on for up to two weeks) and will still come off smoothly when removed.
Protect the Furniture
It isn’t necessary to move all of the furniture out of the room before painting it, so don’t bother. Instead, move all of the furniture toward the middle of the room, and then cover everything with plastic sheets that have been taped along the bottom edge. The splatters and drips of paint, as well as the dust from the sanding, won’t be able to damage the furniture if this is done.
Utilize a Primer with a Tint.
Before the professionals paint the walls, they use joint compound to mend any cracks or holes that they find. But if you paint directly over the patched areas, the compound will pull the moisture out of the paint, giving it an appearance that is flat and dull. This is an issue known as “flashing.” In addition, such areas will have a distinct appearance that is not shared by the rest of the wall. It is essential to prepare the walls before applying the topcoat of paint, as this will prevent the patched areas from showing through the paint.
However, rather of using white priming directly from the container, professionals shade the primer with a tiny bit of grey paint or with the colour of the paint that will be used as the finish. Tinted primer performs a better job of covering up the previous paint colour and disguising patched areas than regular primer does. As a consequence of this, the final coat of paint will have a more brilliant appearance and could require fewer applications. This is especially important to keep in mind when painting over colours such as red or orange, which, in the absence of a tinted primer, may require three or more coats of topcoat altogether.
Invest on the greatest possible supplies.
Paint and brushes shouldn’t be purchased on the cheap. Buying inexpensive brushes is a waste of money. If you invest in the highest-quality brushes that you can afford, maintain them properly, and you will have brushes that will last you a lifetime. It is possible to get the appearance of smearing paint on a wall with a rake by using a plastic brush that costs three dollars. Additionally, the bristles will become dislodged and fall into the paint. You should invest in Wooster or Purdy paintbrushes instead of regular brushes since they are noticeably more long-lasting, and they apply paint in a very smooth manner. A high-quality angled sash brush with a width of 212 inches makes for a great all-purpose paintbrush. It may be used for a variety of purposes, and after the bristles have worn down to a point, it can be washed and reused.
In addition to this, you should invest in the highest-quality paint that your budget will allow. It is going to be simple to apply, it will provide the finest coverage, and it is going to endure for a very long period. In addition, filthy fingerprints may be removed with water without the paint having to be removed first. In addition, the painting project as a whole will move more quickly, be less difficult, and finish up looking better.
Brush and lap marks can be removed using Paint Extender.
There are evident lap lines in the completed paint coat, which is a clear indicator that a room has been painted by a beginner DIYer rather than a pro. This is the case when the room was painted. Mixing in a paint extender (also known as paint conditioner), such as Floetrol, into the paint is the key to achieving a finish that is devoid of brush strokes and lap marks that are visible to the naked eye.
This accomplishes two goals:
- It slows down the drying period of the paint, which gives you more time to paint over areas that have just been painted without acquiring unsightly lap markings. Lap marks are caused when fresh paint is applied on top of dried paint.
- Paint extender smooths down the paint, essentially removing any brushstrokes that may have been there. When painting drywall, woodwork, cabinets, and doors, experienced painters make use of extenders. You can calculate how much extender to add to your paint by reading the label on the can, but in general, you should add 8 ounces of extender for every gallon of paint. It is possible to add up to around 16 ounces of more extender to the paint if it is really thick, or if you are painting in extremely cold conditions.
To create a ridge in textured ceilings, scrape the ceiling.
It is nearly hard to avoid getting paint on the bumps of a textured ceiling while painting along the top of a wall in a space that has a textured ceiling. The experts have a straightforward remedy for this problem: using the point of a slotted screwdriver, they scrape away a little portion of the ceiling’s texture as they go around the room. The screwdriver leaves behind a very slight ridge on the ceiling, into which the very tips of your paintbrush bristles will naturally fall as you work. You are now able to cut in around the ceiling without having to worry about putting paint on the ceiling. You won’t even be able to see that there is a lack of texture.
Do Not Tape the Windows; Instead, Scrape Them.
Taping around the window frame and grill before painting the windows is a step that is not necessary. It would take too much time, and the paint would probably wind up on the glass in any case. Instead, give this tried-and-true tip a try: while you paint the window, let a small amount of paint to drip onto the glass. After it has had time to dry, you may remove it easily with a razor scraper. Be very careful not to cut through the paint bond that connects the wood and the glass, since this might cause serious injury. In the absence of proper ventilation, moisture can penetrate into the wood, leading to decay.
Box paint for constant colour
Guess what happens when you purchase two or more cans of the same colour? They virtually seldom have the exact same hue over their entire body. This is due to the fact that the colour of the paint changes very slightly from can to can. And if you open a fresh gallon in the middle of coating a wall, you can see that seemingly insignificant change all too clearly. Using a method that is known as “boxing” paint, professionals combine the contents of their paint cans in a bucket that has a capacity of five gallons. This helps them achieve colour constancy from the beginning to the end of the project. Then you may paint directly out of the bigger bucket, which avoids the need to pour paint into a roller tray first. Painting directly out of the bucket also saves time (though you should keep in mind that the heavy bucket is harder to move).
Complete one wall before beginning work on another.
The majority of do-it-yourself painters start by cutting in all of the room’s corners, and then they return to the walls to roll paint onto them. However, this is not the ideal approach to paint a room. The experts achieve a seamless appearance by first cutting into one wall and then rolling on the paint as quickly as possible before the cut-in areas dry. This makes it possible for the brushed and rolled areas to combine well with one another.
When transitioning between brushing and rolling, cover your paint bucket, tray, or container with a moist cloth. This will prevent the paint and equipment from drying out while they are not in use.
Purchase one or two more buckets.
It is a good idea to have a couple of clean buckets that are devoid of any contents.
during painting, because freshly shaken paint does not remain freshly shaken for an extended period of time after being stored. In addition, a stir stick by itself is not sufficient to reactivate paint that has already settled. Therefore, you need to pour the paint back and forth between two buckets until all of the solids that have settled to the bottom of each can have been incorporated into the paint. To guarantee that your paint is blended correctly and completely, this is the most effective method, and in all honesty, the only method available. In addition, if you have paint stored in a variety of cans, you should combine them all in order to get a consistent colour.
Roller Covers Should Be Cleaned.
Even though it could seem strange to do so, it is essential to clean brand-new paint roller covers before using them for the purpose of spreading paint. When you pre-wash an item, you remove any stray hairs or fluff that may otherwise get in the way of the painting process. After washing the covers with water and a little amount of liquid soap, do a technique known as “preconditioning” in which you run your hands up and down the covers to remove any stray fibres by moving your hands in a vertical motion. You also don’t have to wait for the roller coverings to dry before you can use them; you can begin using them right away.
Make use of drop cloths made of canvas.
It is not acceptable for professional painters to use old bed sheets as drop cloths, and you should not do the same. Splatters and spills will be able to penetrate thin sheets and make their way through to the flooring below. Additionally, do not make use of any plastic covering. Even though plastic is effective at containing spillage, the paint takes an excessively long time to dry after being applied. Additionally, if you tread on wet paint, you will wind up spreading it all around the home with your shoes. In addition to this, wet paint applied on smooth plastic makes the surface extremely hazardous.
Employ what the experts employ, which are canvas drop cloths. Canvas aprons are more expensive, but they are not slippery, they absorb splatters, and they are long-lasting enough to use for the rest of your life. And if you’re not going to be painting the ceiling, you don’t really need a drop cloth that’s big enough to cover the whole room anyhow. The optimum method for covering the floor is to use a canvas sheet that is only a few feet wide and stretches the whole length of the wall.
Turn the Lights On.
Another phrase used by painters is “vacation,” which I will now explain to you. That is the situation in which you fail to notice that you have missed a location. It is simple to accomplish, particularly in areas with poor lighting or with colours that are close to one another. Therefore, you should invest in a nice, bright work light for yourself and make use of it to examine your work either as you go along or after you have completed a part. In most cases, holidays appear along the room’s perimeter, which is the area where you probably painted with a brush rather than a roller. When you’re still working, holidays are easy to solve, but they become a lot bigger nuisance when you’ve finished cleaning up and putting things away.
Using Degreaser to Clean the Walls of a Dirty Room
Paint will not adhere to oily, unclean, or dusty surfaces, such as those found in kitchens over stoves; mudrooms where children kick off their muddy boots; or places near light switches that get swatted by dirty hands. Examples of these surfaces include: When this occurs, it is best to clean the surface to be painted using a degreaser before beginning the painting process. Degreasers, which are often referred to as deglossers, are solvents that cut through grease and filth to improve the adherence of paint. Due to the potency of this substance, make sure to read the label and follow the instructions exactly. Additionally, eye protection and rubber gloves should be worn.
Take the Electric Plates Out of the Way
This should be obvious to everyone. Instead of laboriously masking off electrical outlet plates and switch plates or cutting around them, just grab your screwdriver and remove them off. Then you will be able to paint around each electrical equipment in a quick and easy manner without making a mess of the paint job. Just remember to keep track of all of the screws so that you can reattach the cover plates when the paint has had enough time to dry.
Begin with a Brush That’s Fully Loaded
When painting, professionals use a method known as “load and go.” After loading the lower 112 inches of their brush bristles with paint, they tap each side of the brush on the interior of the can to distribute the paint evenly. This eliminates the need for excessive dripping and gets the brush ready for painting.
Homeowners, on the other hand, frequently use a technique known as “load-and-dump”: they start by loading the bristles of the brush with paint, then drag the filled bristles down the edges of the container, removing the majority of the paint. The end result is a brush that is too dry and has an insufficient amount of paint.
Move the Paint Around to Prevent Runs.
When your paintbrush is full of paint, it is simple to make drips and runs by applying too much paint in room corners or along wood trim. This is especially true if your brush is loaded with paint. To prevent those problems, begin brushing about a half an inch away from the region where the cut was made. Move in closer and softly slide the brush along the trim or corner while the paint continues to discharge from the brush. Allow the bristles to lightly press the paint up to the joint where the walls meet. It is possible that you may need to repeat this process a few times in order to get complete coverage; nevertheless, doing so will prevent extra paint from gathering around the woodwork and in the corners.
Give Yourself a Chance to Shine
A “poor set” is a term used in the vocabulary of painters to describe when they are in an awkward physical posture when painting. For instance, perhaps your ladder isn’t quite close enough, or perhaps you’re in an uncomfortable place with your brush. Both of these scenarios are not ideal. The good news is that it is possible to avoid most undesirable sets. Simply down the ladder, and then relocate it. Even while it’s frustrating, it’s not nearly as bad as when you fell into your paint bucket because you were hanging off your ladder like you were a member of the America’s Cup crew. And relocating an obstruction can occasionally fix a problem that has been going on for a while. Stop what you’re doing and roll the refrigerator out of the way if it’s causing you to be in an awkward position while painting.
Bag It Up.
Leave the roller cover on the roller frame until the end of the day, then soak the cover in paint. This should be done when you are ready to call it a day but have not completed painting. To form a hermetic seal, encase the cover in a plastic bag before wrapping it up. This will ensure that the roller cover remains clean until the next day, when you may resume painting. In the event that you won’t be able to go back to painting for a few days, remove the roller cover from the frame and throw it. The following time, replace the roller cover with a fresh one.
When it comes to your paintbrushes, be sure to give them a good washing in some warm, soapy water. This is especially important if you are using latex paint, which is water-based. To remove oil-based paint, wipe the surface using paint thinner. After that, use a brush comb to rake the bristles out in a straight direction, and then place the brushes back into the covers that came with them or wrap them in newspaper.
