How to Achieve the Perfect Paint Job

When it’s time to brighten things up, help your new appliances pop, or just create a change of atmosphere, fresh paint is a simple and relatively inexpensive way to make a big difference inside your home. Here are our detailed tips for the perfect paint job to make your home feel renewed and refreshed.

Prepare and Prime

Now is the time to do a deep cleaning. Wash the walls and fix any imperfections by spackling, scraping, sanding, patching, and filling every hole. Start with a smooth and even surface so that every layer after looks pristine.

It is crucial to then prime the walls. Primer serves a few important purposes. It blocks stains from bleeding through to the drywall. It allows you to use fewer coats of paint, therefore saving money. It also improves paint adhesion; if you want your paint job to last, and see fewer blisters and peeling paint, you will take the time to prime. And if you really want to be professional about it, you will tint the primer with a bit of paint. While most paints do contain primer, you don’t want to overlook this step. It makes an incredible difference in the appearance of your painted walls, on the day you finish, and even years later.

Color and Consistency

Paint color never looks the same once you get it out of the store and onto the walls of your room. Buy small cans of similar color, some with more warmth or saturation, and then test the color on a piece of foam board. You will want to see how the color looks at different times of day, with the sun shining in the windows, casting shadows on the walls. Once you have settled on the perfect paint color, mix up a batch large enough for the entire surface. You don’t want slight variations around the room.

Use Your Tools

Professional painters keep the space clean as they go by using canvas drop cloths, tape, and a utility knife to prevent tape from tearing and to keep lines straight. Begin by painting the trim, then the ceiling and work your way down. Try to paint the walls with strokes that are the full height of the space to avoid unevenness caused by lap marks. Be thoughtful and tidy. The job will go more quickly, and the result will look sharp.

Shop at Mitten’s for new appliances, electronics, furniture, and other household essentials to add the finishing touches to that freshly painted room.