Paint your House like a Pro
Owning your own home means you can decorate the interior whatever way you want. Maybe you are a first time buyer ready to get stuck into some DIY painting. Maybe you just want to spruce up your home. Prepare yourself with this complete checklist to help you paint your house like a pro.
Research and Plan your room
Like most of us you will be taking inspiration from online, magazines and places you may have visited. A good place to start is to determine what will suit the room and what styles you like. You may want to have an accent wall to act as a feature with a vibrant colour. Consider a contrasting colour on any mouldings. Don’t forget to check if the ceiling needs a bit of TLC too. You can order testers online from woodies.ie so you can begin the search there.
Choose your perfect colour
Choosing your perfect colour can be both stressful and fun. Begin by considering what colours you would like in your space. For example a small room may not be suited to a dark palette but would benefit from a range of neutrals. If you have existing furniture be mindful of what works with those, unless you are open to upgrading some furniture too. Visit dulux.ie and use their great paint generator to visualize how your room would look with a certain colour.
Pick your tools and materials
Everyone will need the basics to start off when decorating their home. For the most part these products can be used again so see them as an investment once you look after them and follow the cleaning guidelines. You will need:
- Paint
- Brushes
- Roller Brush
- Roller Poll
- Paint Tray
- Painting Tape
- Sandpaper
- Putty Knife
- Old sheets/Drop Clothes
- Methylated Spirits
- Sugar Soap
How much paint you will need
A good gauge by experts is to account for one gallon per 400 square feet. If you are painting a large space you might want to account for a small bit more and also factor in how many coats you plan to do. Some colours will require more coats than others. For example a dark room being painted a lighted colour will need extra coats and an undercoat/primer. If you are using rollers allow for some initial soakage into the roller. If you want a more textured finish you will use more paint than if you want a smother glossier finish.
Prepare your walls
This is a very important step to carry out before you begin painting any walls. If you are dealing with an older house or a well lived in house you can revive walls by cleaning them with sugar soap to remove any dirt. If there are any holes or blemishes from blue tack or Sellotape make sure you use a wall filler and sand it down until it is smooth. Next you should use painter tape to protect any edges of windows, light fittings, corners or mouldings. Don’t forget to remove the furniture from the room if possible. If you can’t manage this, place all the items in the middle of the room and use drop clothes or old sheets to protect your items.
Prepare your paint
Mix your paint well before use with a wooden paint stick and stir occasionally throughout. Use your paint tray to dispense the paint using a roller. If you have multiple tins of paint you can mix them together to insure 100% that the colour is the same throughout your room. It’s important to know the drying time for your paint so you know how long to leave it dry between coats. Check the tin for specifications.
Pick your painting technique
Know how you will tackle painting the room and stick with it. Take one wall at a time. Use a paint brush to paint around the edges and use a roller to paint the remaining wall. Start at the top of the wall and work your way down to the floor. Make sure to do enough coats to cover the wall and use an undercoat where needed. If you are planning on a feature wall with a different colour, do this last. Wait for the paint to dry. You can use your painters tape to make sure your paint doesn’t bleed onto your newly painted wall.
Ventilation
You will want to have good ventilation when painting to allow for paint drying and to get rid of any harsh paint smells. Opening windows and/or using fans will be perfect for this situation. Keep in mind you don’t want the room to be freezing as this will affect some paints drying time. If the weather is damp this will also affect the drying time. Ideally, in Ireland, the summer months are best for painting indoors and outdoors.
Clean Up
Time to clean up, you’re nearly done. Carefully remove any painting tape from the walls, ceiling and skirting boards. Roll up drop clothes once they are dry of any paint spillages. Clean all your brushes, paint tray and rollers for when you want to use them again. Oil based paints should be cleaned using methylated spirits. Water based paints can be cleaned using soap and water. Make sure any leftover paint is sealed correctly and stored in a safe place. We have all seen the disasters that can happen when children get their hands on paint.
Time and Decoration
Now that you have your home freshly painted it is important to let the paint dry properly. You don’t want any unwanted marks on your walls from boxes or furniture pushing up against the walls. Again, when you are finished painting make sure you leave the room well ventilated to get rid of any lingering paint smells. Ideally, you should leave a room 24 hours before moving furniture or adding pictures to the walls. But check your paint for the brand specifications. Add your finishing touches at your leisure and enjoy your hard work. It’s amazing what a bit of paint can do to revive a room.
Good luck with your new home or home decoration journey. Don’t forget to always insure your home with a good home insurance policy. KennCo provide a range of home insurance products to suit your needs. We offer Owner Occupied Home Insurance, Contents Only Home Insurance and Landlord Home Insurance. Get a quote online for a competitive home insurance quote or call us on 014092600. Here’s an article about two of KennCo’s home insurance benefits that you may not be aware of.
