When it comes to painting your home, having the trade secrets can help you along on so many levels. Jumping in with luck and a prayer may not get you the optimal results you are looking for. Considering that, we at L.W. Winslow Painting, Inc. would like to share just a handful of secrets from us professionals to ensure your next paint job is executed with quality workmanship.

Tips & Tricks; How to Paint Walls, Baseboard & Trim Like a Pro

Sanding. Perfectly smooth walls will create a flawless seams and a crisp paint job. Sand away the minor imperfections on the wall until it is level. If you need to spackle, joint-compound patches, and make sure the rides around holes created by nails or such are sanded away. Start from the baseboards and work your way to the ceiling with a fine grit sandpaper and to reach the higher places a sander with an extension pole works if a ladder is unavailable. Avoid using excessive force on the tool, doing otherwise will make it skid around and create further damage. Sand horizontally around the baseboard and ceiling, pivot around wood work, utilize a sanding sponge for the tighter spots.
Tinted Primer. Some areas will literally suck the moisture of the paint where patch work is over holes with a spackle or taping mud. This leaves those areas looking dull and flat. To avoid this, never skip the primer. White primer isn’t your only option; there is a light gray primer, or a tinted primer you can use that is related to desired paint. If you are coloring dark or bright colors, primer is recommended to achieve the ultimate end result, as well as cutting down on work and paint expense. Without the primer, you can expect to apply 3-4 coats to properly cover the pre-existing painted walls.
Tape it off. Most know to tape up the baseboards edges, and once you have finished and conduct the unveiling (removing the tape), you are annoyed to find that paint drips managed to run through the taped barrier. Instead of relying on your fingers to tape it down, use a putty knife to gently press the tape down and secure the edges.
Ceiling protection. Take a flathead screwdriver to scrape the texture away from the crevice of where the ceiling meets the wall. It created a slight groove that the paintbrush will naturally fall into instead of scuffing up your ceiling; removing the thin line of texture is not even noticeable.
Floor protection. Skip the sheets and plastic covers to protect your floors. Sheets are porous and still allow seepage while plastic captures the spills and pools locally; making it difficult to manage without accidental spills. Opt for canvas drop cloths instead. They prevent seepage, and still easily capture and soak up spills, making cleanup a breeze.
Seamless painting results. Do one wall at a time to achieve seamless results. It may seem more time efficient and tempting to finish all the trim work in the room at once, then follow up with overall painting. Doing so will create the seams. Instead paint one wall at a time. Alternate trimming and “W” painting patterns on the wall until the wall is complete and then move on to the next wall to avoid seams. This technique will also keep your tools from drying out.
Roller prep. Use the quality rollers instead of the cheap ones that leave the little fuzzy particles that roll off onto your painted wall.
Brush painting. So many people will dip their brushes into the paint, only to wipe the bulk of it off the edges, causing you to be painting for longer than necessary. Instead, generously dip your brush in the paint about 1 1/2 inches deep and instead of wipe the paint on the side, allow the heavy drips to fall, and immediately apply paint to the wall.

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Always apply the load in a clear area a couple of inches from a painted area to avoid dripping. Gently push and manipulate the paint towards the painted areas blending the two together. If the painting takes too much time or you lack the physical capabilities, contact L.W. Winslow Painting, Inc. and let our experts do the rest.