A good paint job compliments your furniture. More times than once, we move into a house and the painting is dreadful. It leads to the decision of painting over the original color.Whether you are painting yourself or hiring a professional, it takes time.
Although, most Kenyans tend to underestimate the planning that goes into painting. Some think it’s just calling your ‘kalocal’ guy to do a rushed job. Like any project, this can go wrong in so many ways but it can all be avoided with proper preparation.
Here are the dos and don’ts when repainting a room or house:
Prepare
You read that right. Don’t just wake up, decide your wall looks dull then hit up the caretaker that your wall needs painting.
Prepare the room before you paint it if you want it to look good. Move furniture out of the room or cover it with cloths. Cover the windows to avoid brushing paint on them or it splashing on it.
Also, remove the door or cover it up since your landlord will have your head if you tamper with the door. You may also decide to paint the door, the new colour. Ensure the door handles/hinges are covered with tape or newspaper if you are palnning to paint the door.
If the wall has imperfections such as bubbles or mold, get them fixed before you start painting. For example, you want to sandpaper rough spots or cement over the cracks before you paint.
Painting over an imperfect wall, you’ll end up with the crack showing through the new layer of paint. As the painting progresses, go ahead and put old cloths or newspapers where you’re standing so that you can contain any spills.
Do Know What Type of Paint You’re Dealing With
Alright, I hear you. you don’t know about paints. Well, simply ask the landlord what type of paint they used. Nonetheless, if you want a completely new paint you will have to remove it.
Take the time to remove the old paint if you’re painting over the current paint with an different type. For example, if you want to paint over oil-based paint, you’ll want a primer, ideally shellac.
Additionally, when you want to paint over acrylic paints, you can use either an acrylic primer or oil-based primer. If you don’t know what type of paint you’re painting over, that’s something you need to know before you start buying supplies. Consult with the painter.
Do Know What You Need
One of the worst mistakes you can make when repainting is not buying enough supplies in advance. Or rely on the caretaker to provide, we all know they add water( Kenyans caretakers and their cheap theatrics) to paint unless you trust them.
Not using enough primer will lead to the wall looking horrible in a few weeks. Hence, buy enough of it.
Purchase the right amount of paint you need even if it will be excess. when you don’t have enough paint purchased up front, the second batch will be slightly off in colour from the first. People will be able to tell where you switched to the second batch of paint.
Get the Right Tools for the Job
Don’t skip on safety equipment and tools. Make sure the painter has the appropriate gear. Safety comes first, especially if painting higher grounds.
Get high rollers and rollers instead of trying to paint with a standard paint brush; the cost is well worth it as soon as you realize how much time you save. Note that you can often rent supplies instead of buying them.
Don’t Go as Fast as Possible
This can’t be a day job. Trying to get the job done as fast as possible, there are going to be mistaken.
In some cases, time pressures cause you to leave off the second layer of paint. The second layer is necessary to prevent the underlying color from showing through.
Moving the things back into the room before the paint is completely dry; completely defeats the purpose of moving them in the first place.
Don’t try to paint directly from the can in the hope of speeding up the process. Put the paint in smaller cans as a precaution in case you accidentally knock the larger can down.
Moreover, take time to clean up properly after the paint job. The room will look much better if you do that and will not look like it was done by amateurs.
Before you start your project, make sure that you keep these few tips in mind first. This will allow you to save time on your project and get the result you’re looking for.
