After years of painting in the Minneapolis and surrounding areas I have picked up on lots of different things that can help homeowners when getting their homes painted. These simple tips can save you time, money and headache. So here you go!
Document All Colors, Brands and Sheens
This is so simple and is a huge time saver as well as money saver. Whether you are painting your home yourself or hiring a painting contractor. If you don’t have the paint color, brand and sheen then it is up to you (or the painter) to try to match the existing color. If you only need touch ups you may find that a matched paint doesn’t quite match as well as the original paint would have. This can cause you to have to repaint a whole wall rather than just touching up.
Use A Pole When Rolling Walls
Whenever I see those DIY shows on TV painting a wall with a roller and no handle I cringe. I have seen it too many times. With the use of an extension pole, from 1′ – 4′ or an adjustable 2′-4′ pole you will save your back, you will also find painting to be significantly easier and quicker.
You Don’t Always Have To Prime
Although every paint store will tell you to prime every single thing you paint, it is not always necessary to prime. Actually, there are only a few situations that primer is actually necessary.
- Any raw surface such as wood, drywall, metal and so on.
- To seal in stains on walls, wood and more.
- To cover and bond damaged paint.
If you are repainting interior walls, you almost never need to prime your walls. Not even if they are currently a bright color.
When You Do Prime, Tint Your Primer
If you are painting a color over wood, drywall or anything that needs primer, don’t go with standard white primer. You may end up needing to add an extra coat of paint just to cover up the primer. Primers can often times be tinted up to 50% of your final color. This can easily save you a coat of paint in the end.