Interior Painting: 5 Tricks To A Successful Job

Interior painting. Some homeowners relish the chance to get their hands dirty and let their creative flag fly. Others prefer to admit that they know little about decoration and would be better off putting their trust in professional painters. If you choose to go the latter route, you're far more likely to come up with an outcome you can be proud of for years to come. But if you're the type that has to be hands-on, here are some tricks you can use to make your experience and results something you can live with.

Preparation
Don't start that interior painting job without making sure you have all the supplies you need at the outset. Paint jobs are usually done best when they are done all at once. Leaving half the room done while you go to the store for more supplies could result in an uneven appearance. There is also a benefit to getting all of your paint mixed at the same time. There could be subtle color differences if you have to make separate trips. These might not be visible when compared in the can, but any discrepancies will surely stand out once the paint has dried on the wall.

Give Yourself Space
If you aren't experienced, paint can have a way of getting all over everything. Get all of the furniture out of the room you'll be working in to eliminate the chances of ruining something expensive with splatter. If you can't remove everything, make sure you cover the remaining items with something protective, like a drop cloth.

Remove Hinges and Light Switches
This also goes for doorknobs, cabinet handles, and other pieces of hardware that can get in the way. Unless you want to paint everything the same color, it will be much easier to take this stuff off and put it back on later than to try and paint around it. Another note: painting everything the same color will look horrible, so don't do that either.

Wear a Uniform
No, you don't need to go down to your local uniform shop and have a pair of painter's overalls made, but you don't want to do the job wearing something you care about, either. This goes back to splatter and how easy it is to get paint all over everything. Don't get caught unaware and ruin one of your favorite outfits.

Don't Paint Away Problems
If you have problems with your walls; don't use interior painting as a way to cover them up. Holes, cracks, and other structural problems need to be addressed separately before the first touches of color go up. If you try to paint over them, you'll just wind up with a colored hole.