How exciting! You’re considering a new colour for your home. Painting your interior walls can have a massive impact of the look and feel of your home. There is a lot to consider, so you might want to hire a painter. But if you want to save on costs, and you don’t mind the extra effort, you can do it yourself by following the steps below. Let’s get started:
1. Choose colours, paint, and brushes
There are lots of websites and apps that can help you with colour choice. Keep in mind that the natural and artificial light of a room can change how the colour sample looks, so buy small tins of the paint you like and do sample patches. Don’t skimp on the paint or the brushes. If you want a high-quality finish, these elements will help you achieve the look.
2. Clear the area
Remove all objects from the room you are painting, including things like your curtain rails. Also think about removing light switch fittings, nails, and hooks from the walls for a professional finish.
3. Clean your walls
Inspect your walls for any dry or flaking paint. These should be lightly sanded and then rinsed. If you skip this step, it could mean that your new paint coat will flake off with the old paint. This also applies to greasy areas of your wall. So, before you begin, wipe down your walls with a damp cloth, so that you start painting on a clean, dust free wall. Depending on the wall, you might want to clear it with sugar soap to really get the grime off.
4. Place a drop sheet
Cover your floor with a drop sheet and try to protect your floor completely, leaving no areas exposed. You can secure the drop sheet with masking tape, try not use a hardy tape like duct tape as it may damage your flooring when you remove it.
5. Apply masking tape
Use masking tape or painters’ tape to mark the lines you do not want to cross with your new paint coat (this may include wall skirting, door frames or room separation). Doing this will make sure that you have clean, straight lines.
6. Prime the walls
There are paints that have a primer premixed into them. If it has been more than eight years since you painted last or you are painting on a challenging surface, it is best to use a primer on its own first. This step makes it less likely that you’ll have to repaint your walls any time soon. It will also give you a more durable, longer lasting result.
7. Set up lighting
Lighting the walls while you paint will help ensure that you paint evenly and do not miss any spots.
8. Get painting
Paint from top to bottom to cover up any drips or mistakes. Let the paint dry completely before doing a second coat or filling in any streaks or spots.
9. Remove the masking tape and clean up
Once the paint has dried completely, remove the masking tape and clean up. There you go, your new fresh coat of paint is complete!
If this is the only paint job you’re going to be doing for a while, it may be less expensive to hire assistance than buying all the equipment yourself. If you prefer to hire a
professional painter rather than DIY, they will come with the equipment they need, such ladders, brushes, rollers, spray canisters, lighting and paint trays. A professional painter may even do the box method which means they take all the paint cans that you need for a job and mix it together in a large container. This guarantees an even paint colour and finish. If you think this is what you need, then consider finding a professional.