Your DIY Home Painting Guide

The pandemic has made an artist out of us. People have begun exploring their hobbies and interests while nurturing them in the time that they have been in lockdown. Some have taken to writing, music creation, learning to play an instrument, learn a language or cooking amongst many others.

With unexpected time at hand, people have been doing things that they never thought they would find the time to do. Today social distancing is the norm and people are hesitant to let outsiders within their homes. So, when it comes to things such as repairs and fixtures too, people are doing it themselves. This is something that they would ideally pass on to electricians, plumbers, carpenters etc.

But can things like painting too be taken up by people to be done on their own? Looking to paint your home this lockdown as a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) project? Or maybe because the festival season is upon us? Read on to our home painting guide to know how you can go about it on your own:

1. Envision Your Newly Painted Home

Before you begin bringing in your supplies and starting to coat your walls with newer shades of paint, take a beat and envision how you want your home to look like once you are done. Discuss with your family which colours would look good in different rooms. Or if you are bold enough, you could try some patterns in some areas of your home. Try to choose differently by trying out colours that you otherwise never would. Live a little different this time!

2. Calculate the Cost 

Having envisioned your home, it's time to calculate the area of your home you need to paint and the budget that would be needed to cover the same. A rough estimate of your home area would be enough to understand the budget required for the painting job.

3. Try Samples

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Now that you know which colours would be applied where, don't directly jump into the job! Try out a few sample shades on the walls to solidify your decision and then pick one that fits accurately with the room or your vision.

4. Time to Prep!

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Check your walls for any cracks and unevenness before you begin applying the primer. Sealing these cracks and creating an evenness is vital so that the primer and the paint can be applied on even walls.

Simultaneously, begin covering your furniture to start prepping the house for the actual painting. Cover your doorknobs and other parts that could get ruined during the painting process. If you can, empty the room to give yourself a broader space to move around while painting.

5. Primer

Go for a neutral shade of primer irrespective of the colour you choose to apply on top of it. Any other shade and it would be visible under the coat of paint you’ve applied. If your paint is in good condition and you would be applying a fresh coat on top of it, then there is no need to apply a primer first. In case of any problem areas, you will be required to apply primer.

6. Rollers

Rollers are an easier way to paint your home than applying multiple coats of paint with a paintbrush. They soak in more quantities of paint and can be easier to hold and apply, unlike paintbrushes. For your paint rollers, purchase inexpensive roller covers which can be disposed off at the end of each painting session.

7. Extension Poles

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You can take your rollers a step ahead by bringing in an extension pole that can help you reach the remote corners of the room that you wouldn’t have been able to otherwise. You can simply stand on a ladder and get to all areas of your ceilings with zero discomforts.

8. Let’s Get Started!

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Let’s begin with the painting now, shall we? Start with the most challenging room first instead of putting it off for later and dreading to do it. First, start with the corners using a two-inch paintbrush. Then, move on to the rollers and paint the rest of the wall.

Use the ‘W method.’ This means that you paint in the form of the letter W and then without lifting the roller off the wall, you fill in paint within this letter. Continue doing this for the entire wall and move on to the next. Remove tapes that you may have stuck to the walls to paint in line with the same, while the wall is still wet.

9. Canvas drop cloth

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Most people make use of a plastic drop cloth to drape the floor while they paint. However, a canvas drop cloth is an inexpensive way compared to the rest, to protect floors and furnishings while you are painting your home. It is durable and rip-resistant. It also absorbs paint and does not become slippery.

10. Overnight Paint Storage

Painting is not a one-day job. You may be done with one wall or section, but you still have others left. This means that you need to store your supplies for the next day. But this doesn’t mean that you need to go through the tedious process of cleaning your paintbrush and rollers. Instead, simply wrap them in cling wrap and seal them tightly, leaving them in your refrigerator overnight.

 

Painting sure looks like a big job, but when broken into steps and sections of the home, it isn’t a difficult job. All you need is a proper plan and determination to make it through the painting process to reach on the other side where your home looks like the freshly painted canvas you envisioned!