1. PAINTING OVER UNREPAIRED SURFACE

Repairing walls is often skipped to quickly hide scratches, cracks, dirt marks and more. Doing so might seem like a good idea at first, but in the long run painting over unrepaired surfaces leads to bumpy and uneven surfaces. Moreover, walls are highly prone to chipping. A fix here is to cement holes and sand uneven areas to ensure a smooth surface.

Before picking up any painting tools, it’s vital to protect the furniture and other delicate pieces. This can be easily done by using a plastic sheet to cover sofas, and cabinets as well as other items. Utilize painting tricks used by professional painters and gather everything in the centre of the room. This will give you more room to move around the area without worrying about spillage or accidents.

5. SKIPPING THE PRIMER

Also known as the undercoat, primer is used as a base on surfaces before the actual paint is applied. It is especially needed in case of dark or light colours being painted over each other as they seal the paint and increase durability. Primer is also a must for glossy walls to avoid chipping and for unpainted wood as they are absorbent. It conceals stains and odour too.

6. USING WORN OUT MATERIALS

Painting walls for beginners naturally requires more effort or precaution. While choosing paint colours, sticking to a can of old paint or brushes that have a few bristles left is unacceptable as only correct materials get you smooth finishes. For one, use synthetic brushes to apply oil-based paints and give latex coats with a polyester brush. Make use of thin brushes for corners that require detailed painting.

7. APPLYING PAINTS WITHOUT PRIOR TESTING

Simple yet skipped under many painting tips and tricks – testing paints with samples. Wall combinations depend on the surrounding atmosphere, natural light, and type of room and should also complement one’s personality. Save yourself from last-minute disappointments with prior paint testing. Choose an empty wall and swatch as many colours to give you a better idea of possible combinations that would work. You can also render the help of online digital tools to see a mock-up of your existing space in the desired colours.

8. APPLYING TOO MUCH PAINT

Brushing walls with a roller will let you paint hard-to-reach areas easily. But using a roller or brush requires precision. For a perfect painting process, avoid fully immersing your equipment in paint cans. Instead, lightly dip the brush or roller and choose one column on the wall to spread the paint in an up-and-down motion.

9. APPLYING A SECOND COAT WITHOUT SUFFICIENT INTERVALS

Wait for the first coat of paint to dry and only then give your walls a second coat. Painting twice ensures that the older paint doesn’t bleed through and cause chippings. Additionally, second coats make the paint look better and last longer.