5 Pro Secrets to Painting Interiors

Painting is an arduous and time-consuming process. People often DIY painting projects but end up regretting their decision. However, it is not the job that one should regret, but the approach to it. 

Professional painters in Tarneit can give your home the best finish and sheen because they follow strict procedures from start to finish— this is what a DIY project lacks. If you plan to paint any part of your home yourself, it is essential to know the pro secrets to a flawless paint job.

It will be smarter, faster, and more organised.

1. Perfect Prepping

It’s a highly misconceived notion that painting is simply picking a brush and smearing the paint over surfaces. Firstly, painting is a job that needs diligence with both before and after prepwork. In fact, they significantly impact the quality of the work.

This prepping includes sanding the walls, taping the paint zone, and covering the furniture. Professional painters often follow these steps for a reason.

• Sanding: Professionals swear by this essential for a seamless paint finish. Sanding the surface with an abrasive paper helps camouflage any blemishes or uneven areas. The paint adheres well to the surface after flattening out the surface like this. However, make sure you are not putting too much pressure as it may damage the surface.

• Taping: You can’t paint without using painter’s tape. If you do, it will only create a mess. Sealing the edges and wood trims with painter’s tape helps avoid paint splashes. More importantly, push down the tape well using a putty knife. This provides a good seal, ensuring the paint doesn’t bleed through the tape. One thing to remember is not to use masking tape in place of painter’s tape.

• Covering: Instead of moving all the furniture out, you may bring them all to the centre of the room and cover them with a plastic sheet. It protects the furniture from paint drips and saves you the trouble of lugging out heavy furniture.

After these three preparations, you are all set to pick up the paintbrush.

2. Beware of Flashing

Generally, a pro painter fills any holes and cracks on the wall with a joint compound before painting. If you paint directly over these patches, the joint compound will draw the moisture out of the paint and give it a dull appearance. This phenomenon is called FLASHING.

Therefore, it is important to prime the wall before painting. The sequence is sanding, joint compound, primer, and then the paint coat. When you stick to this sequence, you are bound to have a flawless finish.

3. Prefer Tinted Primer

Using a tinted primer is probably one of the best-kept secrets of professional painting services. They tint white primer with a little grey paint or your selected paint colour rather than using it as it is.

The tinted primer can conceal the old wall colour including any patched areas. Besides, it also makes the final paint coat more colourful. Because of the tinted primer, you will also need fewer paint coats.

It is particularly true if you paint over hues like red or orange, which can require three or more topcoat layers when you don’t use a tinted primer first.

4. Eliminating Brush and Lap Marks

Noticeable brush or lap marks in the final paint coat are a dead giveaway that a room was painted by a hobbyist rather than a professional. The key to a finish free of visible brush and lap marks is blending a paint extender (also known as a paint conditioner) into the paint.

By using a paint conditioner, you will ascertain two advantages.

• It prolongs the drying duration of the paint, allowing you to paint over freshly painted areas without developing unsightly lap marks. These marks commonly occur when you apply new paint over dried paint.

• A paint extender smooths out the paint and essentially eliminates brushstrokes.

Experts usually use extenders to paint drywall, woodwork, cabinets, and doors. To add an extender to your paint, check the directions on the can’s label. Typically, one gallon of paint requires 8 ounces of an extender.

​​You can add more than 8 ounces if the paint is really thick or if you are painting outside in freezing weather.

5. Paint Boxing

One of the common problems you may encounter while painting is uneven tones of colour. Even when you buy the same paint, the colour in one can may vary slightly from the other. That little difference will end up giving you an inconsistent finish.

Thus, professionals always box their paint. It means mixing the paint cans in a five-gallon bucket. This ensures you cover the whole space in an even tone. However, ensure you use a sealable bucket after every paint session; otherwise, the paint will dry.

Final Say

One can have a soft and vibrant paint finish for their home with these 5 excellent paint techniques.

DIYs are surely fun, but we advise you to go for professional paint services if the area is large. Otherwise, you will likely end up with a patchy wall after days of hard work. After all, a space needs an impressive outlook to thrive.

If you are in need of professional painters for your home or office, try Millenium Painting. They offer the best service for painting all parts of the house—interior, exterior, or garage. In addition, they also provide wallpaper installations, which is a trendy way to decorate homes and offices.