Painting is one of the fastest and easiest ways to personalize a room and truly make it one’s own. And on top of that, painting is an easy enough task that many homeowners opt to do it themselves as a DIY project rather than hire professionals. However, Waterways homeowners who have never painted before may not know where to start. Here is a step by step guide for how to paint a room to give it a brand new look.

Step 1: Clear the Room

Paint can be messy, so it’s important to prepare a room properly. Ideally, this is done by completely removing all furniture from the room in order to make sure it’s completely protected. However, sometimes this is impossible to do with furniture that is especially large, especially in a small living space. In this sort of case, pulling the furniture away from the walls and protecting it with a tarp can be an excellent substitution.

Step 2: Clean and Prepare Walls

In order for the paint to stick to the walls, they need to be clean of any dirt and dust that may have collected on them. Homeowners can use a vacuum to get off things like loose dust and cobwebs, but  for dirt from hands or stains, using a wet cloth and a gentle soap may be required in order to remove it completely. 

Step 3: Place Painter’s Tape and Cut In

Painter’s tape is a homeowner’s best friend when it comes to painting. This tape is a lot like masking tape, but it’s intended of ruse with paint and won’t let it seep underneath while drying, resulting in crisp lines when it’s removed. Painter’s tape also helps protect the things that shouldn’t be painted, like moldings or windowsills, so it’s doubly important to use.

Once the painter’s tape has been applied, it’s time to cut in. Cutting in is the first step to actually painting. The homeowner starts by using a brush to create a border around the walls, and this helps prevent paint from getting on areas where it shouldn’t be when using a roller brush.

Step 4: Start Painting

It’s now finally time to start putting paint on the walls. When painting the main area of the walls, it’s best to use a roller brush in order to cover the most space with the least effort and to get an even coat. However, when using a roller brush, the way it’s used is important. If using horizontal strokes to coat a wall, there’s a higher chance of drips falling down and going unnoticed, making the paint uneven when it dries. To avoid this, use vertical strokes that will absorb and spready out any drips that my fall downward. 

Step 5: Finishing Touches

Once the wall has been painted and has had time to dry, the homeowner should shine a light to look for patchy areas where the old color can be seen beneath it. If this is the case, the wall needs a second coat of paint, which is applied just like the first. After this is complete it’s time to finish the final details. This includes things such as painting light switch covers and air vents and putting them back in place.

Painting walls may seem like a big job, but it isn’t actually as difficult as most people think it is. With the proper preparation and technique, anyone can paint their home and make it look like it was done by professionals. And a good paint job will go a long way in helping you sell your home for the best possible price.