A lot of people think that painting in and around your home is an easy do it yourself project. In fact, painting is the number one do-it-yourself projects most homeowners like to try for their first DIY experience. It is the least expensive. If you fail miserably, all this mistake costs is your time and another can of paint. But can just anyone paint like a pro? The answer is no. But just because we want to level the playing field, our experts here at Romonov Painting want to give you some simple tips to help you try to paint like a pro.
Start Strong, Finish Strong to Paint Like A Pro
One of the first things you need to do to paint like a pro is to properly prep the area. If you start strong, you’ll finish strong. The surfaces need to be cleaned and swept free of any dirt, dust, cobwebs, and debris. If you fail to clean the walls and ceilings before you paint, you could end up with partially textured walls. It will not be a good look.
Some surfaces may need a deeper cleaning than others. In your kitchen, for example, to paint like a pro you may need to use soap, water, and even a degreaser on your walls. Over the years, grease and grime can build up. It may not be visible to the naked eye, but simply running your hand along the walls of your kitchen near your stove may reveal a nasty truth. If this is the area that is in need of a new color or update, and you need to use a cleaning agent, there are a few extra steps to keep in mind if you’re going to paint like a pro. First, clean the area thoroughly. Next, make sure that you rinse away the degreaser or cleaning agent. Finally, let the area dry for several hours, if not for an entire 24 hours. This will allow your new paint or primer to adhere better to the surface and give you a better end result. Now, if you choose to go with a pro, such as Romonov Painting, you can save yourself money by taking care of the prep work yourself before the pros get there.
Don’t Stop.. Painting
Journey’s song, “Don’t Stop Believing” can be transposed to help DIY’s. The lyrics might better be changed to Don’t Stop Painting. To paint like a pro, you need to keep a wet edge until the entire wall or surface is covered. If you walk away, for even a few minutes, your paint edge can dry, leaving you with an uneven surface. It could take extra coats of paint, which can be costly, or even sanding to get an even texture again. Just keep on rolling until you come to a corner. That means you may need to put your phone on vibrate or wait until after lunch before tackling that wall.
If you do, however, decide to leave it to the pros like Romanov Painting, you can rest assured that our crews won’t walk off the job until you’re happy with the end result. No lines, streaks, or uneven textures in your project, unless it’s by design. It’s just another little perk, peace of mind that the job will be done right the first time.
Dessert First?
Many people think of a room’s trim or crown molding as you might as the icing on the cake. And it does add something special to your room, but if the trim is like the dessert to a good meal, you may need to tackle dessert first if you’re going to paint like a pro. Here’s what we mean. A tip that many pros won’t share is that you can get a better finish on your project if you go ahead and tackle the trim work first. Make sure it’s well covered and dry before moving on to the base wall color. Once dry, the trim and crown molding can be taped off so the wall color can be applied. This paint like a pro trick comes in handy if you don’t have a steady hand while painting that tedious trim. Of course, when you hire professional painters, like Romanov Painting, you don’t have to worry about your own steady hand. Our hands come with a satisfaction guarantee.
Mix It up to Paint Like A Pro
Here’s one more paint like a pro tip. Even if you’re paying a little extra for a custom paint color to be mixed up just for your do-it-yourself project, no two cans of paint will ever be the same color. Are you surprised? Here’s how to get around changing colors in the middle of a large project. Mix it up. While you’re out at your local home improvement store, grab a large bucket, such as a five gallon bucket. Take all the cans of paint you’ve had mixed for the project and mix them together in the larger bucket. This will give you a uniform color for the entire project.
After mixing it up, you can either work from the larger bucket, or dip the color into smaller trays that may be easier to use. If you’re using a paint sprayer, it may require you have a large bucket of paint to draw from, but home paint sprayers are a different kind of animal. That discussion will have to wait for another blog. Although using sprayers is one way professionals can knock out a job quickly with such beautiful results.
The Last Step To Paint Like A Pro
How can you make your DIY project simpler? Well, that’s easy. Just call in the professionals. While we are a business, Romanov Painting strives to be the solution to your home improvement problems. Our crews are skilled and do everything with excellence. That way you don’t have to worry about mismatched paint, sloppy trim work, uneven paint lines, and unintentional textures from unprepared walls. Let us bring your project to life without all the hassles and failed attempts to do it yourself. In the long run, only the professionals can really paint like a pro. Call us today and let our service be your solution.
