Is Painting and Decorating Easy?

The need for painting and decoration is prevalent globally, as many walls suffer dull hues, mold growth, yellowing, and peeling. But before deciding to DIY your painting projects, ask yourself, do I understand the process?

 Before painting, you need to know which colours need mixing, the kind of tools to use, and how best to prepare the surface you’re going to apply paint to, among other things. When hastily or typically done, so many things are likely to go wrong, from wrinkling walls, mainly when you apply the paint too thickly, to cracking and flaking surfaces. That’s why professionals like GSD Painting and Decorating contractors exist, to offer free expert tips or promptly do the job for you altogether. 

 But if you believe you can handle the project on your own, here are our professional tips to keep you on the right track. 

 Clear up Space

Room furnishings and decorative accessories like carpets, curtains, drawers, shelves, and wardrobes can slow your painting project and need to be moved to make painting easy. Likewise, painting around room hardware like doorknobs and cabinet hinges can be a hurdle. 

 If possible, you can start by moving furniture to adjacent rooms. Otherwise, consider assembling all the furniture and decorations at the center of the room and use a wide enough drop cloth to protect them from accidental drips. You can also place the door and cabinet knobs, hinges, light switches, and plates into a zipper bag to protect them from paint.

 Fix the Wall for Painting 

Old walls might not respond well to paint. If your walls have aged a bit, patch them up before putting the first layer of paint. You can use efficient tools like spackles to fix minor holes and cracks. Other tools like fiberglass are excellent in masking more significant gaps.

 Besides creating space and preparing the walls before painting, putting on the right outfit like old clothing is best since you won’t need to spend tons of hours stain-cleaning them on a washer. Also, remove any jewelry before the task because it can cause injury. 

Assemble your Workstation

Make sure every tool is well set and at an arm’s reach. Some of the equipment includes a bucket of paint, hammers, brushes, rollers, paint-can openers, screwdrivers, and plastic bags. Properly organizing your workstation makes the painting process as smooth as possible. 

 Choose your Favorite Colour

With the vast array of fan decks and paint chips, choosing the right color option can be overwhelming. It would be best to pick a general colour characteristic. You can look into various shades like neutral, saturated, cool, and warm. Your home or office furniture can also guide your colour choice. How well does the selected colour compliment the furniture?

 Once you have a few fabulous shades, pick a few samples and try them to find out how they look at different times of the day. Most online companies will readily allow clients to upload images of their existing space, then showcase how various colours will affect the general look.

 Determine the Amount of Paint

The amount of paint you need majorly relies on the amount of space that needs paint and the nature of that surface. As a general rule of thumb, you’ll need one gallon of paint for every 400 square feet, of course, with several exceptions.

 Working on a highly textured wall will consume extra paint, contrary to smooth surfaces. Whitewashing falls under the same category, as moving from dark to white requires more paint.

 Calculating the amount of paint needed should not be a hurdle. And it’s especially crucial while working on significant projects. It is always good to consult experienced professionals who can guide you on how to go about it.

 Mix Your Paint

Although you might be having a couple of cans containing the same colour of paint, it’s vital to realize earlier that every colour has a slight variation in shade. If you’re especially dealing with massive gallons of paint, consider pouring every gallon into a single bucket, then thoroughly stirring to obtain a fine mixture. The stirring process should be continuous to ensure an evenly matched paint. 

 Choose a Painting Technique

All the necessary tools are available, and your paint is ready. Which strategy are you going to use? It is a good idea to start from the top down. If you’re using a roller, start from one point and make long strokes, up and down, in a W pattern to the other end. That way, you can quickly overlap the last spot before it dries out and results in mismatching layers. 

 Once the first coat is dry, move on to the next. Use a primer and at least two layers of paint in case you’re covering up dark surfaces with bright shades.

Another essential thing to note is the room ventilation. Keeping the room warm with sufficient airflow allows for a quick-drying process. Ensure all windows are open in the entire process. Otherwise, the fun can equally help.