Biggest tips I can give you, just from learning from experience, is to do the following even before a massive painting project:
- Deep clean the house top to bottom. Yes, even dust down the walls. Hair from previous owners animals, dust, debris will be your worst nightmare if you want to get a clean finish. A few small hairs will really stand out on a clean wall and royally mess with your roller.
- If you plan to, or have to, run the HVAC system during/after painting, purchase two new filters. Install one before painting, replace with a second once everything is dry. Again, this prevents air born debris trapped in the current filter from floating around (first new) and second reduces the smell that may linger in the filter used during painting.
- Take your time with the prep work. Sometimes this is 2-3x the time it takes to actually paint. It can be frustrating, but grab a drink, turn on some music and do it. Patch any/all holes. Pull back cracked paint and refinish flush. Fill in wall gouges. Concentrate on your taping. Etc. The more work you put in upfront, the better the job will look.
- Use primer: A high quality paint/primer is good. But a basecoat of primer will help reduce total layers needed and provide you with a more ‘true’ color.
- Use high quality brushes and rollers: The kits H.D. sell seem like the best value, but ‘splurging’ on higher quality brushes and rollers will make a world of difference in the finish.
- If you plan to paint the ceiling, do this first. Prep time applies here too. If sheetrock taping is pulling away in places, don’t mush it back and paint over. It will break away again.
- Buy painting tarps or bust out the old sheets to cover the floor
- Pull off the tape half way through the drying process. This will give you cleaner lines. If the tape sits completely through the drying process, you run the risk of pulling off paint with the tape.
- Let the paint dry 100% before you decide whether you hate it or love it. Even paint that’s 90% dry doesn’t ‘present’ it’s true color until fully dry.
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