Painting Indoors?  Try These Painter-Approved Tips

As the temperature drops outside, so does the potential for exterior painting.  In Breckenridge,  we work with are high quality Sherwin Williams paint that can be applied at temperatures as low as 35 degrees.  So if you have a small indoor paint project you want to tackle yourself, at least allow us to offer you some advice.

Prep the Wall

Before you paint, it’s important that your surface is prepped.  That means every hole, crack, dent is filled, patched and/or sanded.  After the walls imperfections are hidden, consider priming.  If you have new drywall, this is a MUST.

Know How Much Paint You Actually Need

Wasting paint is no fun.  Instead, measure the perimeter of your room, then the height of the wall.  Multiply the two numbers together and you have a pretty good estimate of how much square feet you need to cover.  Subtract some for large windows and doors or parts of the wall that will require little to no paint.  One gallon of paint covers about 300 square feet with one coat.  Double this if you’re working with a lower quality paint or if you know you’re going to need two coats (darker color, more imperfections to hide, etc.).

Test the Color

I wish I could take credit for this idea, but I saw it on the DIY Network – take a piece of foam board or a canvas and paint it in the color you are trying to decide on.  Grab several boards if you’re considering a few colors.  This will allow you to hang the color directly on the wall and move it around as you like.

Invest in Higher Quality Painting Materials

If you are not going to hire out painting help, consider spending some extra money on canvas drop cloths.  Professionals typically defer to this because it is less hazardous to work on and it absorbs spilled paint really well so you don’t have to worry about it slipping off plastic.  Some other materials to consider: an extension pole and a paint grid.  Depending on the size you get, an extension pole could mean little or no time on a ladder.

Paint grids are a strong recommendation as well because they offer better paint application than your typical paint tray.  Most people inevitably apply too much paint to their roller cover and/or make a huge mess using a paint tray.  A grid will allow you to drop it into a five-gallon bucket.  When you’re done painting for the day, you can just put a lid on the bucket to store the paint for later instead of trying to salvage your paint tray.

We are pretty liberal with our advice, so please don’t hesitate to drop us a line or give us a call at 970 418-5368 cell or 970-547-9778 office.  If you live near Breckenridge, we can do the work for you!