Painting Contractor Guide – The Right Way to Paint Your Walls

From better aesthetics to increased protection against the elements, there are several benefits of painting your walls.

Before starting your painting project, you need to come up with a plan. Avoid common painting mistakes, and adopt best practices. Here are some tips for painting like a professional.

Choose Your Color

Decide whether you want a warm or cool shade. Make sure the shade you choose complements your furniture and artwork. Get a few samples. Test the shades to see how they look in the room at different times of the day.

Get Tools and Materials

You need to equip yourself with the right tools and materials for the job. Every project is unique. You may need different tools depending on the scope of your project, your preferred color, and the condition of your walls.

Irrespective of whether you want to paint a room or the entire interior, you will need paintbrushes, a paint roller, a paint tray, sandpaper, painter’s tape, drop cloths, rags, a putty knife, and a paint roller extension pole.

Determine How Much Paint You Need

A good rule of thumb is that you must use one gallon per 400 square feet. This is, however, a general estimate. The amount of paint you need may be less or more than this. To accurately determine the amount of paint you need, use a paint calculator.

Here are some general rules to remember when determining the amount of paint that you will need:

• If you are planning to whitewash a charcoal-gray wall, you are likely to need additional paint. A deep color base will usually require more coats of paint than a lighter color.
• Painting a highly textured surface? Consider buying a little extra (10 percent more than calculated).

Prepare the Room and the Walls

The importance of preparing the room and the walls to be painted cannot be emphasized enough. How well you prepare the area will have a major impact on your project outcome.

Remove furniture and costly items from the room. If you do not have enough space, move the items to the center of the room. Cover them and the floor with a drop cloth or lightweight plastic sheeting.

Apply a roll of painter’s tape to the edges of the room’s corners, base and crown moldings, and door and window casings. Use a putty knife, if required.

Prepping the Walls

• Clean the walls. Scrape cracked or flaking paint. Smooth away minor imperfections such as bumps with a sandpaper
• Use a high-quality, water-based primer to conceal imperfections

Use the Right Painting Techniques

• Paint from top to bottom
• Planning a bold color? Paint the adjoining walls first. To prevent the dark color from bleeding on your new paint, tape off the edge of the lighter wall
• Paint in a W pattern
• Work on one wall at a time

Mike Chavez Painting is a reliable painting contractor in Sonoma, CA. Nothing excites us more than breathing new life into homes. To discuss your painting project with a professional, call 707-623-5850.