5 DIY Painting Mistakes to Avoid

Ask any homeowner about the easiest way to change a room, and most will probably mention painting. Painting the interior of your Rhode Island home may seem easy, and it is compared to some other home improvement projects. However, there are also some pretty major mistakes you have to work to avoid.

1. Not preparing the room properly.

Proper preparation of a room you plan to paint makes all the difference in how smoothly the project goes. Before you even open a can of paint, it is important to:

• Clean the walls, trim, and corners really well
• Cover carpet, furniture, and anything you do not want to be painted
• Remove outlet and light switch covers
• Use spackle to fix small nail holes and surface imperfections

2. Buying low-quality paint.

Painting a room is inexpensive, but don’t try to keep things cheaper by picking up low-quality interior paint. Higher-priced paints contain more pigment and polymers, so they give you a more even and consistent layer of paint. Some higher quality paints will require only one application to achieve a nicely covered wall.

3. Not springing for better-quality painting tools.

There’s a big difference between a good-quality brush, roller, or sprayer and a cheap tool you pick up trying to save money. Pros use only the best painting tools, and the difference always shows in the end results.

4. Deciding you do not need painter’s tape.

Yes, painter’s tape is a pain to install around all the trim, but it is worth every single minute of that time. No painter’s tape will make it harder for you to get a good clean application around all the trim.

5. Improperly applying the paint coats to the walls.

Yes, the most important thing is that the walls get covered, but you can’t just slather on paint in any direction and expect a perfect result. The best end results with painting come from a patient application process involving steady strokes and consistent paint-application direction.

Painting the interior of your home can give it a totally new look, and it is one of the more simplistic ways to achieve a drastic change. However, interior painting is a job that can be much better left to Rhode Island professional painters. Reach out to us for help. We serve several parts of the state, including Wakefield, Newport, Providence, Coventry, Warwick, East Greenwich, and Providence.