Taking on the task of painting walls by yourself can often result in a less-than-perfect finish, especially if you are not an experienced house painter. At Dunbar Painting, they know that hiring a professional painter can help ensure that your interior house painting project is completed quickly, efficiently, and properly the first time around; however, if you are adamant about painting the walls in your house by yourself, here are some of the top mistakes made when painting walls that you should avoid.
1. Not Cleaning
Before painting the walls in high traffic areas, such as the kitchen or bathrooms, where the surfaces are being constantly touched by hands, grease, or soap, shower, hair, and body products, it is extremely important to degrease and clean the surfaces.
2. Not Repairing Walls to Match the Current Texture
In some cases, walls that have had years of painting will end up having a heavy texture to them, known as orange peel build up. If you decide to have these areas repaired and sanded down so that they are smooth, the areas will stand out from the rest of the walls; however, the repaired areas can be texture matched using a roller stipple while the paint is drying.
3. Not Priming
If you are planning on making a severe colour change throughout your home, especially switching from a medium or dark colour to a white or off-white colour, the walls will most likely require a primer coat or a third coat of paint. Even if top products like Benjamin Moore Aura or Sherwin Williams Emerald are being used, you can still run into issues with drastic colour changes. Choosing to prime the walls rather than painting an extra coat can often save you money without sacrificing on quality.
4. Not Masking/Taping
No matter how skilled of a painter you are, paint can still splatter off of the roller while you are rolling the walls. This means that you should take the time to mask parts of the wall not being painted, such as baseboards and door frames, as well as to mask the floor and furniture in the surrounding areas.
5. Not Sanding Between Coats
Sanding the walls between coats of paint can help ensure a proper finish, as sanding can remove any roller fluff stuck in the paint and any uneven texture caused by rolling the paint onto the walls.
6. Not Waiting for Adequate Dry Time
While paint can sometimes feel dry to the touch within a matter of minutes, this does not mean that it is ready for you to apply the next coat of paint. Depending on the product being used, you should wait two to four hours between coats of paint. In most cases, this will allow you to paint two coats in a day but, if you have to use a third coat, you will most likely have to apply the final coat the next day.
If you would like to learn more about the top mistakes made when painting walls, or if you are interested in one of their painting services, please contact Dunbar Painting at 604-788-3382 or by filling out a contact form on their website.