When you’re tackling a renovation project often the first thing that you plan is the paint job. If you’re tackling this yourself, it can be confusing to determine which paints will work with which projects, especially considering the variety at your disposal. Here are some great tips to finding the perfect paint for the job at hand.
1. You’ll want to make sure that your walls are in good shape. If this means new walls have been built and you’re facing new drywall, or there have been a number of patched repairs, your first step should be a primer. Choose a good, thick primer that will coat the walls and hide any further imperfections to give you an even, smooth surface to work with. Depending on the type of primer, this may need more time to cure than your paint colors will.
2. Choosing the right paint can be confusing, and often a homeowner with no experience will choose something that is cheap, assuming that all paints are created equal and a more expensive paint is just “buying the name brand”. You’ll quickly find out that buying better quality paint will save you both time and money in the long run and eliminate many issues associated with a cheap paint. Higher quality paints often have a thicker consistency and the coverage is far superior, meaning that less paint goes a lot further and covers well in 2 coats with minor touch ups.
3. Paints come in a variety of finishes from ulti-matte to high gloss, with eggshell running right down the center and the most often purchased. Depending on the use of your space (How much traffic will your space get and are the walls often touched?) different finishes will provide different benefits. Your ceiling is most often painted in matte, while walls are usually painted in eggshell or flat and very glossy finishes are reserved for trim and baseboards, doors and chair rails. Your paint can give you an average drying time between coats, which can change from finish to finish.
Other things to note:
1. Using a good edging brush and a steady hand can eliminate the need for much of your taping work. Taping is time-consuming and can add hours to your job, whereas the careful use of an edging brush can mean the rooms are finished in half the time. It takes practice to master, but it’s worth it.
2. Don’t skimp on your drop cloth use. You may think that small splatters can be easily taken care of “later”, but often they harden to the floor’s surface and mean you’ll be on your knees scrubbing away. Use those drop cloth and move them to every new work area.
3. When painting wood trim, take the time to sand the surfaces first, and then prime. Allow primed wood surfaces to cure for 24 hours between coats. Two coats of primer and two coats of paint are often enough to get the look you want to achieve and provide a durable surface to withstand normal wear and tear.
