There are many ways in which you can enhance the look of your home by painting and decorating your walls. Whether it is just due an update or you are getting ready to put it on the market, these handy tips will help you make the most of your DIY wall decorating.
Woodwork first – always paint your woodwork before you paint your walls. That is the way the professionals do it, and it will invariable give you the best finish when coupled with the taping method below.
Preparation is key – before painting, it is important that the surface to be painted is prepared correctly. Any dents or holes should be filled with an appropriate filler and rubbed down once dry. A step often missed is priming these repaired areas before painting. The dry filler will be more porous than the wall and if it isn’t primed, you will have a blotchy effect on the finish painted surface.
Mix cans of paint – if you are going to need more than one can of paint to complete the job, make sure you mix all that you will need in one large bucket. Paint shades can often vary from can to can, by mixing the cans in this way, you’ll avoid shade variation on the walls.
Avoid lap marks – these are the annoying stripes you can get on a painted wall when the thickness of the layers of paint vary. The way professionals avoid this, is by always keeping a wet edge so each roll blends with the previous one. You should start rolling from one side of the wall, rolling full height into the cut in areas, before moving on to the next. Don’t stop for a break mid-wall, wait until you have reached the other side to avoid the lap marks.
Timing the tape removal – using easy release painters’ tape to mask off areas you don’t want to paint, can invariably give you a better line than the hand and eye method. The key is when and how to remove the tape. Removing it when the paint is wet is unlikely to give you the desired finish. The best method is to leave the paint to dry thoroughly for at least 24 hours. Pulling the tape straight off when the paint is dry will give an even worse finish that when it is wet. The secret is to run a really sharp knife along the edge of the tape as you remove it.
Add an accent wall – all the rage at present, an accent wall can really bring a room to life, but why not try an alternative to good old wall paper? Natural fibre such as grass cloth can be used as something really different, or you could use floor tiles, ceiling tiles or even reclaimed wood. An accent wall will give you the opportunity to really go wild with creativity and create a real talking point for visitors.
We hope you may find some of these handy tips useful and inspiring. On the rare occasion that you just can’t get the look right or you decide a project is just too much for you, you can always call in the professionals for help.