Painting Tips and Tricks

Painting the walls inside your house is one of the best ways to give your Milwaukee home a makeover. These tips and tricks will help your painting process go smoothly for an easy do-it-yourself project. If these tips don’t help, or you don’t have the time to paint your own Milwaukee home, call the Milwaukee painting experts at Milwaukee Handyman today - 262.439.8620!

BEFORE BEGINNING YOUR PAINTING PROJECT:

• Deciding what color paint to use in a specific room can be a daunting task. Get color card samples from your local Milwaukee hardware store and hang them on the wall for a few days. You’ll be able to see how the colors look in different lights and at different times of the day. When you’re ready to buy, be sure to measure the room so you know how much paint to get. One gallon of paint will cover about 400-450 square feet.
• Always begin by washing the walls. Use a non-sudsing cleaner and a sponge, and make sure the walls dry thoroughly before beginning to paint. Washing the walls will make sure the paint sticks better to the walls and extend the life of your paint job.
• Always use drop clothes to cover items you don’t want to get paint on.  Use it on carpets, appliances, and heavy furniture you can’t move. Plastic drop cloths make for easy clean up – just fold it up and toss it in the trash when you’re done. Canvas drop cloths, while a bit more expensive, are more durable, easier to position around the room, and absorb paint drops.

DURING YOUR PAINTING PROJECT:

• Work from the top down. Start with the ceiling (if you’re painting the ceiling) and move to the top of the walls. This will help prevent drips or runs on walls you’ve already painted. Work in small sections (8 or 9 square feet), and try to paint in natural sunlight – it will make it easier to see any inconsistencies or gaps.
• If using a roller, apply paint in zigzag strokes. Use an “N” or “M” pattern on walls, and a “W” pattern on ceilings. Then move the roller horizontally, filling up the rest of the “N” or “M”. This will absorb any excess paint on the walls, spreading it around evenly.
• Don’t stop painting in the middle of a wall. You will want to finish painting an entire wall without stopping so the color appears even and any subtle differences in the shade won’t be noticeable.

AFTER YOUR PAINTING PROJECT:

• Although fresh paint may feel dry, it is still fragile, so be careful not to bump or disturb it while moving furniture back into the room. Keep some extra paint on hand in the event you need to touch up a scuffed or missed area.
• Always clean paint brushes, rollers, and other supplies immediately after finishing painting for the day.  If you’re using alkyd paint (an oil-based solvent-thinned paint that takes about 24 hours to dry completely), brushes can be placed in a plastic bag in the freezer overnight (keep them away from food). Paint brushes are easier to clean immediately after painting, and cleaning will help your brushes last longer.
• Store any leftover paint in a cool location where it won’t freeze. The fuller the can, the better it will keep. Make sure to mark the can with the paint color code, the date purchased, and the area it was used for, in case you ever need more, or need to come back for touch ups.

Following these simple painting tips will make for a clean and easy paint job. Don’t have the time to do it yourself? Call the Milwaukee professional painters at Milwaukee Handyman today 262.439.8620, and let us paint your world bright!