Applying fresh paint is the best and most convenient way for refreshing the looks of your home inside and outside, but if you feel overwhelmed by the tasks, here are a few DIY house painting tips to help you. If not, a good Denver construction company will tell you the importance of hiring painters who are detailed and pay close attention, so as not to get paint anywhere but on the walls and floor boards, and the same for exterior painting.
Planning
Choose a sunny period for your painting project. Rain increases the amount of humidity in the air, which influences the way the paint and the primer behave both inside the house and on the exterior, makes drying time longer and can ultimately give you less than perfect results.
Preparing the Space
If you are painting inside, remove the furniture from the room you want to paint or move the furnishing items to the center of the room and cover them. Cover the floors with foil, use protective tape on any surface that you want to stay paint-free and remove the covers of the electrical outlets and the light switches as well.
Exterior painting is messy as well, so make sure you protect your landscape during the process by covering the ground and the bushes in the area to be painted.
How to Prepare the Walls
Walls need to be prepared to accept the new paint, inside as well as outside. Paint does not stick evenly to uneven, dusty or greasy surfaces, so cleaning your walls is a very important step. Scrape the old paint, then ensure the smoothness of the surface by running sand paper on it. You will need to correct cracks, holes and other damage as well:
- if you are planning to paint siding panels, inspect them for chipped or rotten parts, replace damaged components, then sand the repaired surface;
- if you will be painting inside, inspect the wall for cracks and correct them by applying some caulk, then smoothen the wall.
When the wall is sufficiently smooth, wash it with some soap and water, then rinse the surface as well and let it dry before you paint it.
Choose the Painting Products Carefully
You need the best paint and primer that you can get. While choosing the products to be used on the outside, make sure you buy paint that is resistant to the weather, is not affected by temperature variations or by harsh direct sunshine. For the inside, also choose the best paint you can get, especially if you are planning to use a darker color because dark hues are more sensitive.
Be Careful When You Mix the Paint, too
The best way to ensure that the color is consistent on all walls is to mix a large quantity of paint in one go. The process is called boxing and it is the method used by professional painters.
Get Painting
Use a roller with a telescopic handle to make the process comfortable. Paint from the top downward to avoid drips and streaks.
If you use these DIY house painting tips, your painting project will surely be successful – who knows, maybe you will even have fun doing it all by yourself or with some help from friends.