There are nine interior painting tips that will ensure a flawless finish in your home. These tips come from interior designer and founder of direct-to-consumer paint company Clare, Nicole Gibbons. Before you begin, prep the room by using a tack cloth or lint-free cloth, which is impregnated with a sticky substance that can pick up fine particles. It is also helpful for removing dust, stains, and dirt.
Painter’s tape
Painter’s tape is a great choice for many surfaces, including freshly painted walls and polyurethane floors. It is also useful for decorative painting, including stripes and other designs. It’s most commonly used for exterior work because of its ability to grip uneven surfaces. It helps protect surfaces like brick and rough wood from paint bleeding, and is UV-resistant for seven days.
Before starting the painting process, make sure to clean the surface thoroughly. This helps the painter’s tape stick better, and creates a smooth surface for the paint to adhere to. When applying the tape, try to apply it in a continuous strip that’s about 18 to 24 inches long. Short strips are better than too many seams, as they will not allow paint to bleed. Afterwards, smooth it gently to avoid wrinkles or bubbles. You can also use a putty knife to smooth the tape into place and create a tight seal.
Tinted primer
Tinted primer is an excellent way to get a perfect finish on your interior painting. This paint will help hide old paint and patched areas and will reduce the number of coats of top coat you need to apply. This primer is also an excellent way to hide stains that could ruin your paint job.
Choosing the right color for your interior painting project is an important decision, but the prep work is equally as important. Providing a solid surface will ensure that your interior walls, wood furniture, and metal surfaces will look flawless. Most paint jobs require primer or a sealer to ensure the paint adheres to the surface properly. A good primer or sealer will also give the surface tooth, which is essential for a perfect finish.
Latex gloves
Latex gloves can help keep your hands clean and protected while painting your home. While water-based interior latex paint is easy to clean, oil-based and enamel paints can be harder to remove from your hands. While latex gloves are the most common choice, nitrile gloves can be used as well. Another helpful tool to protect surfaces from paint is painter’s tape. Sometimes known as blue tape, this product has a low-stick adhesive and can help to avoid peeling primer or paint. Invest in this product; it’s well worth the cost to protect your surfaces.
Paintable caulk
Several types of paintable caulk are available on the market. Latex caulk is inexpensive, dries quickly, and is easy to clean with soap and water. However, it does not adhere to surfaces as well as paintable caulk. Hence, it is not recommended to use it on painted surfaces.
Depending on the type of job you’re undertaking, you may need different kinds of caulk. For instance, if you’re painting splash zones in your home, you’ll want to use waterproof caulk. But if you’re just doing interior painting, latex caulk – also known as acrylic latex – works well for most molding and trim in your house. In addition, it comes in many different colors and is paintable.
Taping off baseboards
Tape is a basic interior painting tool and should be used with utmost care. It is necessary to protect baseboards from paint and dirt before starting the painting process. It should also be applied properly, so as to ensure a flawless finish. Tape is designed for a specific surface, so it is important to follow the instructions that come with the tape. For textured surfaces, it may take longer to dry after application. It is also necessary to apply the tape firmly, using an arm’s length at a time. If bubbles or tears occur, you can use a putty knife to press them down. This will prevent the paint from seeping through.
When using painter’s tape to tape off baseboards, make sure that the edge is pressed down firmly. Otherwise, the tape will not lay flat, creating small voids between the surface and the edge. Pressing the tape down will reduce the chance of paint leakage and produce crisper lines.
Using a roller
When painting a room, you may want to use a roller for the final coat, as this will give the painting job a smooth and flawless finish. However, there are some factors you should consider before using a roller. For example, the nap of the roller cover should be adjusted to match the texture of the surface. If the surface is smooth, you can use a longer nap, while if the surface is rough, you should use a shorter nap.
After filling the roller with the required amount of paint, start painting. Work from the bottom up, applying a light pressure. Make sure to work at a slight diagonal, and overlap each pass by thirty percent or so.
