House painting can be a daunting task of choosing the right color, preparation, and the task of painting itself, to get the desired result. But it is also equally exciting, you can liken to changing your house’s wardrobe and giving it a face-lift to shave off some years out of its appearance.
Here are some effective ways to facilitate in painting your home by yourself:
1. The Right Time
You will want to wait for the right time or season to make your paint job. Waiting for dry weather will save you the hassle of mother nature affecting your work and damaging the results. On a rainy day or even when the humidity is high, the paint tends to drip and would dry slowly. If you must, you can use a slow-drying paint to make corrections on lumps and drips before adding the next coat.
2. Surface Preparation
Even before your brush touches the surface, there are a considerable number of things you’ll have to do to prep it for painting. When getting your house exterior painted, you will need to clean it first, fill any holes, fix cracks, and do some sanding. This is how the professionals do it, and is the reason why they have outstanding results. You will also have to do this in your interior. Make sure you inspect the surface thoroughly and make the necessary corrections on its surfaces. This will save you time and money when you don’t have to deal with cracked paint right after you’ve just painted your home.
3. Masking and Protection
Protect certain areas of the house from being covered with paint by masking it with tape. This may include door frames, panels, baseboards, light switches, etc. you can just remove it once the paint completely dries. Or to be safe, give it twenty-four hours after doing the last coat before removing the tape. You will also want to cover your furniture, appliances, and fixtures with plastic or a tarp, to prevent paint drips from ruining them.
4. Tools of the Trade
There are several tools that professionals use when they do a project, but if you’re doing it by yourself, you don’t need to spend a lot on them. But there are some things that you may want to invest in:
a. Different Sizes of Rollers
Consider buying different sizes of rollers to make it easy for you to cover different areas in your home.
b. Roller Extension
You may have to use a ladder at a certain point, but when coating on a large area overhead, you may want to use a roller extension. It makes it easy for you to move and removes the risk of falling.
c. Brush
Use a brush when doing corners and other smaller areas.
5. Cover Paint Tray
This tip is for reducing cleanup time when changing paint. Cover the tray with layers of tinfoil before pouring in the paint and when you’re ready to use a different color, replace the covering with a new one and pour the next color. This is a good way to avoid unwanted mixing and saves time with cleaning.
6. Quality Paints
Talk to your supplier for the type of paint suited for your home. They will be glad to give you any advice on which paint to use for a certain material or surface. Make sure you choose quality over price for areas that are exposed to the elements.
7. Top to Bottom
This is obvious, but it’s worth mentioning. When you paint, start from the top and work your way from there to the bottom. It’ll be easier to remove or paint over an area that is not yet finished. Repainting your house can make it look brand new and can increase the property’s value if you’re planning to sell it. Painting is a tiring job, but following these tips will ease the burden and prevent any mistakes or mess afterward. Do a good job, and you’ll see your efforts are all worth it.
