With our homes becoming the ever-evolving entertainment center for all aspects of our lives, many have begun to make updates to their spaces. From man-caves, to she-sheds, people are maximizing their home spaces in some clever ways.

While updating the paint in a room may be one of the tried and true methods to updating any space, many people don’t know where to start. Some are also unaware of the tips and tricks that can make your walls look pristine. For those that are planning on painting their interior walls this winter, here are a few tips for painting your interior walls from Flying Colors Painting.

Select the Right Tools

When preparing your walls for paint, there are a few tools that the pros rely on to help the job move along smoothly. You may need to scrape off old peeling paint or remove wallpaper from your surfaces. In this case, a paint scraper blade is the best tool for the job.

Alternatively, a long-handled wallpaper scraper can also help remove foreign matter from previously painted walls, trim, or doors, that would otherwise leave an uneven surface. Both wallpaper and paint scraper blades should be used at a 45-degree angle so as to not damage your surfaces.

Note: Homes built before 1978 may contain lead-based paints. Lead exposure via dust from old paint can be extremely harmful to humans and animals. If your home was built during this time, we recommend hiring professionals who specialize in and are equipped to handle lead-based paint removal.

A putty knife is your best tool to fill in any dents, holes, or cracks in your walls. The flexibility in this tool allows you to force putty or spackle into these spaces. The pro tip here is to pull the blade back against the surface to create a smooth finish.

Another great use for a putty knife is to utilize it to press down painter’s tape. There are fewer things more frustrating than removing your blue tape you so carefully put in place, only to find splotches of leaked paint on the wrong surface.

Using a putty knife to press the tape down prevents paint from going on the side you don’t want it, keeping your painting lines straight and near perfect.

A Clean, Well-Prepped Wall Makes Your Paint Last Longer

While applying paint is arguably the most fun part of the painting process, there are many steps that need to happen first. The most important thing to remember about preparing your surfaces is to make sure they are clean and flawless.

Starting with a perfectly smooth, clean surface allows paint to adhere to your walls, as it was designed to do. Simply put, a clean surface is the key to a quality paint project.

Measure to Determine How Much Paint to Buy

This simple but easily forgotten step is one that the pros know all too well. Before heading to your local home improvement store, you’ll want to know much paint is necessary to complete your project. Take a tape measure and figure out the area of the surfaces you want to cover, and don’t forget if you’re doing two coats, you’ll need to get enough to cover the area twice.

Buying high-quality paint is always the best option for both longevity and depth of color. In order to save money in the long run, buying the proper amount of paint really is the smart approach. Thankfully the experts at Sherwin Williams have simplified this process by designing an interior calculator to help determine how much paint you’ll need for a particular project.

Boxing Day isn’t Just for Canadians

If you are using more than one can of paint, there may be a slight difference in each of the gallon cans. Since this paint color difference might leave a less than ideal finish (picture running out of one gallon’s paint in the middle of a wall, then opening a gallon of the same color, but discovering a hint of difference, then having to finish a partial wall while noticing the difference between the two different gallons) on your surfaces, painting professionals often use a method called boxing.

What does it mean to “box a paint” to ensure the color is the same on all surfaces on which it’s used? To box paint for a specific painting project is to take all the gallons of paint and mix them together in a large, 5-gallon bucket. By doing so, you’ll ensure the exact color will be applied, because the paint will come from the same large bucket.

Squares are Cool

After you’ve prepped and are ready to apply your paint, there is one tip that should not be skipped. When using a roller brush, some amateurs aren’t confident about their paint application technique. There is an easy trick that the professionals use to get a consistent application every time.

Once your roller is loaded with paint, simply roll your paint onto your wall in a W shape. You are aiming for an approximately 2-foot long W in which you then distribute the rest of the paint on your roller to complete a square. Using this method with a light steady pressure will ensure an even coat across your entire wall. After every square, reload your roller and you are on your way to paint like the pros.

Ask the Experts

The last and most important tip is to hire a professional painting contractor so you can spend your precious time doing something you love. You might end up saving money in the long run by letting professionals help choose colors you love, prep, and paint flawlessly, getting the job done right the first time. A professional painter’s work will look more, well, professional, and will maintain its beautiful finish longer.

For the last 40 years, our painters have specialized in painting and revitalizing residential and commercial properties throughout Thurston and Pierce Counties. Forty years, yes, that’s a long time.

As the foremost residential repainting and re-staining company in the area, we have acquired skills, abilities, and experience to give you the best painting project outcome possible. We are committed to impressing you with our lasting work and incredible customer service.

Schedule a free consultation to see what we can do for your home.