7 Painting Mistakes To AVOID and How To Easily Fix Them
Painting is no easy task. While we may think we have all the skills and knowledge to take on any painting task, there are some things you need to know beforehand. If you are planning on DIYing your home walls or even some furniture with a new cool coat of paint, it’s important to research the best practices before fully diving in. Knowing even the simplest of tips and tricks can help save you time, money, and effort. Here are some common painting mistakes to avoid.
It’s important to research the best practices before fully diving in
Common Painting Mistakes To Avoid
Mastering the art of painting will pay off. Hiring a professional isn’t one of the cheapest options, plus it’s sometimes excessive to hire someone for one door. That’s why learning how to avoid common painting mistakes can help you out.
Hiring a professional isn’t one of the cheapest options
#Not Preparing
Lack of preparation is the number one mistake you can do when it comes to painting. A little prep work can save you a ton of headaches later on. As well as cleanup. Make sure to put paint tape everywhere you need. Cover the furniture and floor with a drop cloth. Take out any animals from the room. Make sure to clean the walls prior as you don’t want any dust particles stuck to your paint. Make sure to fix up any holes before you start layering paint on there.
Cover the furniture and floor with a drop cloth
Here is a great tutorial on how to prep a room for painting
#Wrong Color
Another huge painting mistake you can make is to choose the wrong paint color. We don’t recommend picking your paint color based on just a color chip. We’ve all been there, you see a beautiful color on the strip, you get the paint and then when you put it on your wall, it looks nothing like the strip. This is an interior design mistake and will just leave you feeling disappointed and spending more money on paint. Other than making sure you pick the right color, make sure to ask for a small paint sample at the store. This way you can apply the sample and see how it looks during both the day and night and if you just like it in general.
We don’t recommend picking your paint color based on just a color chip
#Ceiling Bumping
This one often happens unintentionally, but it takes one second of inattentiveness to bump the ceiling with the roller. Now, a troublesome touch-up is created. Which means just more work to do. But how do you avoid this? You can easily avoid this problem by just first rolling a horizontal strip of paint parallel to the ceiling. Then just roll vertically up to the already done horizontal strip. This creates a good buffer zone.
It takes one second of inattentiveness to bump the ceiling with the roller
#Over-brushing
While you may have the best intent by continuing to brush on the paint, you may have notices this leaves a ton of brushwork. If you haven’t dealt with painting, this is a very normal and common mistake. However, if you want a nice, smooth finish whether you are painting cabinets, doors, skirting, or woodwork make sure to avoid too much brushwork. Just load the brush and cover the area as fast as possible. Then with just one or two strokes level the paint off. If the paint has already started to dry, sure to not brush over the same area, as that’s when the brush marks will appear.
Make sure to avoid too much brushwork
#No Primer
Skipping primer is a big painting mistake. Primer is there for a reason. It helps to create a good surface for the paint to adhere. This will ensure a beautiful finish to your gorgeous paint color. And now most paints have with primer in them, so you have pretty much no excuse. However, this type of 2 in 1 works best if it’s used on a surface that has already been painted. If you are working with a brand-new piece of surface, make sure to use a traditional primer first and then apply paint.
Skipping primer is a big painting mistake
#Lack of Patience
Something many of us are guilty of is lacking patience. While no one finds watching paint dry fun, when it comes to painting, patience is a virtue. A common mistake many new painters do is to paint over a second coat before the first one has dried. This will just cause the new coat to pick up the old one and thin it out, it will also create uneven coloring, peeling, and streaks. It’s best to wait two to four hours before applying the second coat. And if you are using an oil-based paint, wait even longer. If you do rush in and make mistakes, just wait for the paint to harden and go at it with some sandpaper. Then clean it with some water and a soapy sponge. After it has dried, reapply the paint.
It’s best to wait two to four hours before applying the second coat
#Peeling Painter’s Tape
We understand you may feel tired after a paint job well done, but there are still things to do. This includes removing the tape. The longer you wait, the harder it will be to remove it without it yanking out pieces of tape. Make sure to use a razor and cut along the perimeter where the trim or the wall meets with the tape. And make sure to slowly take it away.
The longer you wait, the harder it will be to remove it
These were some common painting mistakes you should avoid. We hope you found this article useful. Now you will have beautiful painted walls, furniture and more.
Now you will have beautiful painted walls
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