when it’s time to flex that d.i.y. muscle
We get it…sometimes it does make more sense for YOU to do the painting.
And we’ve got some of our favorite do-it-yourself tips! Just a few simple things to check off and help make the process as smooth as can be.
The first order of business: sand, sand, sand those flaws away. Don’t put anything on the walls without sanding first! That’s it. That’s the tip.
Wash your rollers…before using them. A brand new roller has lots of little fuzzies. And what’ll happen to those fuzzies if you don’t take our advice? They’ll stick…to your wall…in the paint. It’s not pretty. Let’s make sure it’s pretty!
If you’re applying painter’s tape (which we recommend for newbies), use a putty knife to press it down and run a lightly damp cloth along it. This will ensure that the tape is adhered properly. We want to save you from the rookie mistake (& horrible feeling) of pulling up tape (specifically around corners/edges) and finding that paint seeped through because it wasn’t pressed down firmly. That ain’t fun to fix.
Speaking of tape, preferences over what areas to tape varies from person to person. Whether you choose to tape around the ceiling is up to you. Either way, let’s say you’re getting ready to start. You’re about to cut in. There’s paint on your brush. Pause please. Don’t start painting right at the edge. When your brush is loaded with paint, it’s much easier to make a mistake when your first stroke has all of that initial paint excess. For those first strokes, start away from the edge and move towards it. The resulting line will be much cleaner. (Side tape tip: pull it up as soon as the paint is dry…don’t leave it on for days.)
If your project entails painting more than one wall, remember: one wall at a time. Does that seem a little obvious? Let’s clarify. What we mean is that you should start with one wall, cut in, and then immediately paint that wall before moving on to the next. This will give you a proper blend of the paint. Otherwise, you’ll see the brush strokes. Trust us. (Or don’t…and you’ll learn from the mistake. Life is full of lessons!)
We could probably go on and on. In fact, we definitely could. But these are some easy and excellent starting points. And hey, if you begin the process and decide it’s for the birds, let us be the birds! We’re a phone call away and happy to pick up wherever you left off.
