Common Mistakes when painting your home

Repainting can make your home appear and feel new again. Hiring a painting professional can ensure that the job will be done right, but if you want to take on the task yourself, there are some common pitfalls you should try to avoid.

Soiled surfaces

Paint looks better and will have a smoother, more professional finish when applied to a clean surface. Your walls may not look dirty, but the slightest dust particles can interfere with the finish of good quality paint. So dust down and clean your walls and ceilings before applying paint to them.

Un-prepared surfaces

Old peeling paint needs to be cleared away and glossy surfaces must be sanded down before applying new paint, otherwise it won’t stick well or provide good coverage.

No tape

Guarding all edges, such as door frames and window sills with tape is crucial. Not using tape will most likely result in a sloppy paint job.

Exposed fixtures

It is also important to cover light fixtures, doorknobs, and all surfaces that you don’t want painted, to avoid the messy look of paint on inappropriate areas.

Ceiling

If you are also painting your ceiling along with your walls, finish the ceiling painting and let it dry first. Do this to avoid dripping paint from the ceiling onto your newly painted walls.

Wet surfaces

It is important to ensure that the surface you paint is dry. If you wash the walls and ceilings, wait a while until they are completely dry. The time it takes to dry may be extended in humid weather. Painting on wet surfaces can cause blistering and peeling of the coat.

Primer

Apply primer to the walls in order to provide the paint with a surface it can stick to. Primer gives the fresh coat an improved appearance and is essential if you are painting over a darker shade or stains.

Tools

You will likely need a selection of the more commonly used painting tools such as rollers and paintbrushes, depending on the type of job. Investing in good quality appropriate tools is extremely important for the best outcome. Using the proper tools will make any task easier and improve your results.

Touch-up paint

Once the paint job is done, do not forget to store extra paint in a container for touch-up purposes. House paint can get smudged or stained in the future and having touch-up paint handy makes the repairs convenient. Simply dabbing the paint of the affected part(s) will fix the problem. Storing extra paint also saves you the hassle of finding the similar shade later, especially if it was a limited edition.

Rotten wood

It should be noted that fresh paint is not a solution to fixing a rotten wood. Rotting wood inside the house needs to be replaced and walls need to be patched before painting.

Contact Monarch Paints and Wallpapers!

Painting the house takes ample amounts of time, tools, and effort. Monarch Paints and Wallpaper wants to make your job easier by offering you high–quality paints and wallpaper at affordable prices. Make your home beautiful with a wide range of paint colours and wallpaper patterns available at our North York and Bloor West Village locations.

Our experts offer you in-store and in-home colour consultations. Our wide array of products include all the top brands, and we also deliver anywhere in the Greater Toronto Area. Visit monarchpaints.ca to view all the services we offer.