Apr 8 , 2019 Anderson Painting

Painting your home’s interior is an important part of maintaining your property’s value. But a lot can go wrong if you decide to tackle this project on your own. Unless you have experience working for a Raleigh house painting company, you might not be aware of how much effort goes into the job and what steps should be taken before, during, and after. We could easily list dozens of errors that people might make when painting their interior spaces. To keep things simple, however, we’ll just go over six of these mistakes.

1. You Didn’t Prepare Well … Or At All

Proper painting requires proper preparation. After all, no one wants to redo any of the work they just completed, nor does anyone want to find paint all over their furniture, floors, or fine objects. This prep work includes clearing and cleaning the room, laying down drop cloths, patching drywall if necessary, and so much more. If this doesn’t sound fun, you’re not wrong. But you’ll thank yourself later when you end up with a neat paint job and easy cleanup.

2. You Didn’t Clean the Walls First

When it’s time to paint, cleanliness matters more than you might think. For a paint job to last, it must strongly adhere to the surface. If your walls are coated in dust, dirt, and/or oil, there is a barrier between the wall itself and the paint. This can affect how well the paint sticks, and how long it goes before peeling or chipping away. Usually, a good scrubbing with a damp sponge or cloth mixed with some detergent is all you need. Just make sure the surface is completely dry before you start painting!

3. You Forgot the Tape

Painter’s tape is an extremely handy tool for interior painting projects. This tape can be used to cover unpaintable areas, help create straight dividing lines when painting a room two colors, or simply ensure clean edges near baseboards and crown molding. Without this tape, your paint job can get real messy real fast. Be careful when removing the tape, of course, as it may take some paint with it if removed too quickly or aggressively.

4. You Didn’t Purchase Enough Paint

This is a common rookie mistake. It’s not always easy to know how much paint is necessary to cover the area in question. High-quality paint can get expensive, too, so you might want to play it safe and purchase only what you think is necessary. However, as you move along, you might realize you’re a half or whole bucket short.

This isn’t the end of the world, as you can simply buy more. But once you’re in the groove of painting, you won’t want to venture back out to the store, swipe your card again, and then return to a partially painted, partially dried room. To avoid this mistake, Raleigh house painters can make careful measurements beforehand and calculate how much paint is needed for two (or more) coats to cover every surface.

5. You’re Using Old Brushes

To save time and money, you might try to dig up some old paint brushes you used a decade prior when you first moved in. This might be a mistake, especially if you didn’t properly clean or store those old brushes. Dried out, stiff bristles won’t do you any favors, resulting in an uneven, scratchy paint job. The same goes for old rollers. It’s worth it to invest in some new, high-quality paint applicators, as well as proper cleaning and storing solutions so you can actually reuse these tools the next time you need them. Also, consider which type of paint you’ll be using, as this can help you determine which type of brush or roller to purchase.

6. You Chose the Wrong Finish

As if you didn’t already have enough choices to make regarding paint colors, you also have some options regarding sheen. These finishes range from matte to high-gloss, becoming more reflective as you move along the spectrum. Choosing a particular finish has functional applications as well, namely durability and cleanability. Therefore, you want to make sure you’re using the right sheen for a particular room. High-traffic areas like kitchens and recreation rooms can benefit from satin or semi-gloss paint, which are easier to clean than flat finishes. Matte and flat sheens work well for calmer rooms, like living rooms and bedrooms.

There are plenty of other common mistakes that one can make when painting an interior. Still, it’s imperative that you’re at least aware of the six listed above. Avoiding these errors will result in a better paint job with a longer lifespan. Still, if you’re feeling overwhelmed by the amount of attention that goes into proper interior painting, Anderson Painting contractors have your back. Our team has years of experience painting all types of interior and exterior spaces for homeowners and businesses alike. To learn more about us and all our services, call Anderson Painting today at 919-610-1855 or email us at info@andersonpaintingnc.com!