How to Paint like a Professional

Hiring a professional decorator is handy but expensive. Financially it makes much more sense to do the hard graft yourself. Unfortunately it is often quite apparent when a room has been painted by an amateur. However, by following a few simple tips you can paint like a professional: 

Remove the Wallpaper

If you don’t have wallpaper then skip to the next step. Replacing wallpaper with paint is slightly tricky because it can’t just be painted over. Depending on the type of wallpaper that you have, it might simply peel back to reveal the surface underneath, but if the paper is not this amicable then you might want to hire a steamer. Steamers are straightforward to use and simply soften the wallpaper so that it easily peels away. Alternatively you can buy a stripping solution that can be either be sprayed or rolled on the paper to ease its removal.

Clean the Wall

Remove any excess dust or grease from the walls with a duster or a dry cloth. This should not take very long but will prevent any dirt attaching itself to your brush or mixing in with the paint later. Water will suffice; you do not need any special solution to do this.

 

Picking a Paint

Arguably the most exciting stage is when you decide what colour the room will be. There is a whole spectrum of Little Greene paint colours for you to choose from. The company is dedicated to producing eco friendly products so you can feel good about yourself whilst improving your home. Kent Blaxill are Little Greene paint stockists so check out our range if you are looking for inspiration. If you really want to modernise your home then paint one wall a different colour to all of the others so that it becomes a feature wall.

Choosing a Brush

When painting a large room by all means use a roller, but a brush will give you a neater finish. A wall brush is large enough to make painting a big surface area take less time than expected. A trim brush has a straight-cut line so it ideal for corners. In terms of the width of the brush stick to under 2 inches for touching up tiny areas, and 2.5-3 inches for corners; your normal brush can be as much as 5 inches. The paintbrush should be completely clean (ideally brand new) before painting and a high quality brush will prevent strokes

Skirting Boards

Put tape around the door frames and around the skirting boards. The skirting boards themselves should be painted white. Some people choose to do these last but it actually makes more sense to get them done before you prime the walls so that no white ends up over the wall.

Primer Before Colour

Potentially the most boring but arguably the most important stage of painting a wall; filling in any holes before covering the wall with the primer. A tinted primer should reduce the number of coats of paint. The primer will mean that the paint goes onto the wall more easily and lasts longer.

A Stroke of Luck: Technique

Dip the tip of your paintbrush into the paint and tap it against the edge. Don’t wipe the paint against the side as this will immediately make it uneven. If the brush is being used for the first time (which it should be) move it around within the tin of paint so that the brushes loosen up. Paint the edges of the wall first because these bits are the most tiresome, delicate sections so it is a good idea to get them done early. 

Paint upwards towards the ceiling so that paint does not drip, then go over these stokes horizontally to ensure all the area is painted but brush strokes are absent. Draw large “M” shapes with your brush and then colour in the gaps using a mixture of horizontal and vertical movements to avoid streaks. The “M” technique is the approach most often endorsed by professional decorators.  

If you would like to find paint and equipment appropriate for decorating then please visit: http://www.kentblaxill.co.uk/little-greene-buy-online