Home Improvement DIY

If you’re having to do your own painting in your home then one of the most lengthy jobs is painting.  It doesn’t matter what type of painting job it is.  You could just be painting some furniture or you could be painting the whole exterior of your house.  Whatever painting task you have to complete, there is a lot more to it than simply picking up a tin of paint and a brush.  If only it could be that simple.

Obviously if you’re going to be doing small painting jobs such as painting the skirting boards or flooring then you won’t require a ladder.  But for jobs requiring painting above head-height you will certainly need one.

When buying a ladder it’s always a good idea to buy one which is bigger and better than you would expect.  The reason is that if you buy a ladder that’s too small you will not be able to reach up properly to paint your ceilings and other high places.  Walls can have a habit of looking smaller than they really are and when standing on a ladder you want to be able to comfortable stand on a rung two or three steps down for safety reasons.

Another reason you should buy a better ladder than you might normally is because it needs to be able to carry your own weight plus the weight of brushes, rollers, buckets and other materials you might require such as an electric sander.  The ladder you choose needs to be able to support your own weight plus about 10-15%.  A flimsy ladder not only could cause you to fall and hurt yourself but you’ll make one helluva mess with all that paint spattering about everywhere.

When painting you will typically require some buckets.  Although paint already comes in a bucket or tin you will often need to mix different paints together.  Perhaps the color you bought looked good at the time but turned out to be a lot darker when applied to the walls.  You would therefore need to mix in some white to lighten it.  Of course to do this mixing you need another bucket, preferably a clean one which has never had any paint in it before.  Otherwise you might contaminate your new paint.  Plus, when using a roller, you’ll need a paint pan or two.

If you don’t like the original lid your tin of paint came with, there are optional ones you can buy that have spouts on it for easy pouring.  The problem with standard paint lids is that the paint often dries up around the lid.

Unfortunately most of the hard work involved in painting is the preparation which can amount to 80% of the time you actually spend on your painting project.  By using good quality materials you can help keep this percentage down.

When painting you should really use something to protect other surfaces you don’t want painted.  One of the most popular methods is to use masking tape, also referred to as blue tape.  This tape come is particularly useful when painting windows and skirting boards.  Even someone who as been painting all their adult life will use masking materials as it’s impossible to keep a perfect steady hand.

Damp cloths, dust sheets and other large covers are also great when painting to protect areas such as flooring from having paint splattered all over it.  This is particularly important when painting a ceiling or walls as paint often spits when moving your roller back and forth.  You might try and get the job done faster by brushing or rolling faster but it’s this action which caused pain to spatter and drop on your floor.  So make sure you cover you flooring up well otherwise you might end up having to replace it.

When you have finished all your painting activities and want to complete the job 100%, you need to make sure you clean up all your painting equipment ready for when you want to use them again.  And of course, there always is a next time.  Although covering and masking will help prevent unnecessary cleaning, your rollers and brushes must be thoroughly cleaned.  Although you might argue that you can always throw all these items away, this is going to end up costing you a lot of money and it’s not exactly environmentally friendly.

If you have been working with oil or alkyd-based paints using a paint thinner will do the trick.  If you are working with latex-based paints however, all you need is soap and water.  If you have been wearing gloves and a head covering whilst painting then cleaning your hands and hair won’t be a problem to clean.

If you buy all the proper equipment and tools for the job you’ll be able to do a much better paint job.  However that is only part of the story.  You also need patience and attention to detail in order to get a professional result.

 

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