Paint like a Pro: Interior Paint Hacks

Thorough surface preparation, careful paint application, and detailed clean-up: painting like a pro covers these basics and a few interesting hacks that make the work easier and flawless. Para sure, read here for a list of quick hacks for interior painting and working with interior paint.

Determining the Interior Paint Used on Your Work Area

Identifying the paint used on your surface helps you plan what thinner, primer, and topcoat to use. This should also be helpful in gauging how thorough you should be with surface prep and clean-up. The good news is that there’s no need to scrape off a sample of the old paint so that you can study it through a microscope.

Soaked in rubbing alcohol, rub a cotton ball on a small area of your surface. If the cotton ball has paint residue, the paint is latex. No paint? You’ll be painting over oil-based paint.

Stirring Your Paint Evenly

Every painter should know that pigments and binders separate when paint sits untouched for some time. So, before actually painting, you have to stir its content first. In this part of the process, pros suggest modifying your stirrer. By drilling holes into your stirrer, the components of the paint mix evenly almost like how beating egg with a whisk works.

Choosing a Sheen that Suits Your Surface

The sheen or finish of your interior paint can beautify or highlight imperfections on your surface. So choose the right sheen. Best for busy areas, gloss can make wall dents and other flaws more pronounced. On the matte end of the range of sheens, a flat finish may hide imperfections.

Read more about what you need to know about paint sheens.

Using the Right Primer for Your Work Area

Painting a new drywall? A water-based primer like Prima hides imperfections whilie providing an even base for your topcoat. If you’re working with paneling, water-damaged or smoke-saturated walls, go with oil-based primer.

Working in Textures with a Regular Roller Brush

Who says you can’t create textures without decorative brushes and paints? Longer naps (the fabric that covers the roller of a roller brush) hold more paint and naturally create subtle stippling on your wall. This is because of the way their fibers distribute the paint. On the other hand, a roller with short naps produces a smooth finish.

Avoiding Overlap Marks when Painting

To avoid stripes caused by rolling over paint that’s already starting to dry, you can try the “W” or “N” methods of applying paint or painting the full height of the wall and then moving over slightly so you can overlap the last stroke with the next.

Cleaning Your Paint Applicators

To clean or not to clean your roller and brushes? It’s always best to clean your tools properly after a paint project. But if you’re working with latex interior paint and it’s a multiple-day paint project, you can opt not to go through the usual cleaning process.

Cold temperatures keep latex paint from drying quickly, you can simply wrap your rollers or brushes in plastic bags or tin foil and put them in the refrigerator. Make sure to warm them up before using the next day, though.

Storing Your Paint so that it Doesn’t Dry Out

Storing leftover interior paint is ideal for future repairs and touch-ups. But how do you keep it from drying out? Place a plastic wrap under the lid, seal it tightly and store upside down! Did you know that you can use golf balls too? Drop a couple into the paint can to fill the air space.

Browse through more home decoration and improvement reads with para sure tips from Island Premium Paints.