In every trade there are many techniques, known exclusively by the professionals, that aid in completing the job in a smooth and timely fashion to maximize profits. Many these techniques are learned through years of experience and doing things over and over.
One of the most common projects taken on by folks is painting, which at first glance may seem to be an easy project that one can take on without the need of professional experience. Make no mistake, painting a home whether it is the interior or exterior should be taken on with respect and knowledge before starting the project in order to achieve a quality finish that will last as long as possible. When I talk about respect, I am talking about how one may perceive the job of painting a home, which many folks feel painting consist of little knowledge and more of just a labor type of project. As a professional painter I have seen many disasterous painting projects that have been taken on by folks who did not get the proper knowledge.
Create a Painting Plan
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Before beginning any painting project keeping organized, obtain some knowledge and creating a plan should always take place. To gain knowledge for your project you may go on the internet and do some research, but going to your local paint supply store will provide you with the best information for completing your project correctly. Stay away from the big stores for they are only good for saving money not for gaining any knowledge. The local paint stores have a closer relationship to the products they are selling and deal with professional contractors on a more personal basis who give them feed back on products and jobs they have completed.
Before going into the local store you should start by jotting down any questions you can think of on a piece of paper after looking at the project you are taking on really close. You may not even know all of the questions you need to ask which is why you must explain to them in detail about your project. For example, you are going to be painting the outside of your house and you see there is an area above the garage that has to be painted and you are wondering how you will get up there to reach the top since a ladder cannot be placed on the pitch. In this case it is an easy formulated question you can ask.
However, let’s say you project involves taking down some wall paper and you want to paint the wall once this is done. Explaining this to them and asking the best way to do it will get you a response to questions you could never think of, such as making sure you prime the wall with a stain killing primer that will seal in any glue residue making sure the paint will not crack, bubble and peel. Had you just taken the wall paper down and painted right over it you would have a mess down the road. Never be afraid to ask about any techniques a professional may use when approaching your particular project Learning as many painting techniques and gaining as much knowledge as possible about your project is vital.
Professional Painting Techniques
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Below are some painting techniques learned used by many professional painting contractors that can help you along with your project.
- Rolling Paint On Corners -Whenever rolling paint that changes color at a corner the paint will usually get on the other side and look bad. Taking a damp rag after you have rolled the edge and wiping the other side will give you a nice sharp clean edge.
- Trouble Removing Wall Paper – Removing the top layer of the wall paper first before soaking the wall paper can help if you are having trouble removing the paper. Using a roller to apply the wall paper removal solution and warm water mix to the paper can evenly spread the solution quickly, multiple applications letting each one soak in a bit can help as well. Taking a pole sander or a hand held sander to the wall paper can allow the solution to soak in as well. Always use a rag to remove as much glue as possible and use a stain killing primer to seal the wall from any glue residue that may remain.
- Exterior Prep And Painting Long Stretches – Using a ladder and picks can make the job a whole lot easier, it is like having scaffolding set up. Once you have scraped any loose paint using an orbital sander to feather the edges down can have a much better look once the final coat goes on, just make sure you spot prime any bare areas. For really tough areas a paint eater will work well and fast.
- Painting Trim and Baseboards – Whenever painting window casings and trim it is best to do this first because it is easier to get a straight line when cutting in the wall color to the trim around the window. The sills should be done last because of the sprinkling of paint that occurs when rolling. The baseboard should also be done last because it is easier as well the get a straight line.
- Painting With Reds or Yellows – Priming with a primer that has been tinted gray will help in getting a nice coverage of color without the dark spots or needing 4 coats.
- Stained Moldings – Any stained moldings that will be rolled over should be taped off to prevent paint spatters from getting on it. If there is paint on the moldings that are stained and it looks bad tou may get a polyurethane stain mix that matches the color to touch it up and give it a clean look.
- Cracks In The Wall Or Ceiling – Using paper tape will work better than the mesh tape because it is stiffer than the mesh and hold up better.
This article has been written by Jeremy Berger who has been a professional Paint Contractor for the past 13 years. His blog Interior Painting DIY has a lot of informative articles with many techniques. Gaining knowledge about your project is vital whether you plan on doing the project yourself or hiring a contractor. If you are interested in hiring a contractor then his article on How Much Does it Cost To Paint a House should help in your decisions.
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