13 house painting hacks

This article gives you 13 house painting hacks that are helpful whether youā€™re painting your entire house both inside and out, or whether you plan to simply painting one room.

Painting can be a tedious and boring job that can leave you feeling sore with aches and pains even days after youā€™ve completed the project. However, it doesnā€™t have to be that way. Making use of the right equipment and following the correct procedures can lead to a quick and easy house painting experience. In this post weā€™re going to share with you some of the house painting industry tips and tricks to make your upcoming painting project a walk in the park.

13 hacks to a smooth DIY painting experience

1. Remove all unnecessary items

Itā€™s important to empty your room of all unnecessary furniture and items from the space in which you are painting. If you are painting your whole house, you can move all your stuff to one section or room in your house.

Doing so reduces the chance you accidentally drop paint on your belongings and makes painting way easier without having to manoeuvre bulky items during your project.

2. Use proper ladders & platforms

Itā€™s surprising the number of injuries that occur when DIY painters use footstools or chairs instead of proper ladders and platforms. Where possible use sturdy equipment instead of flimsy furniture.

3. Ensure there is sufficient lightingHacks for house painting

Many poor-quality painting jobs are done when working under poor lighting conditions. Ensure there is enough lighting when painting inside your house. Try and get the job started in the morning so youā€™ve got plenty of time to paint before it gets dark.

If you must do the job after dark make sure the room is well lit. Use a bright full-spectrum fluorescent light to illuminate your workspace so you can see properly.

4. Scope out the project

Before you start painting, walk around the house and look at all the surfaces youā€™re going to paint. This will help you to identify any areas of the house that are difficult to reach or may be tricky for one reason or another.

This will also enable you to identify surfaces that need to be repaired or smoothed before painting for the best outcome.

5. Prepare surfaces correctly

The last thing you want to do is spend all day painting only for the paint to start to peel or crack within a few short weeks. Improper surface preparation is one of the main reasons paint jobs fail. Take the extra time to clean surfaces and repair and dents or dings.

6. Use a paint gun

Perhaps the most important piece of advice we can give, a paint gun will make your life so much easier. Granted, if youā€™re only going to be painting one feature wall or a tiny bathroom, then perhaps the masking and taping might not be worth it but for any decent sized project purchasing or hiring a paint gun is well worth looking into.

The speed and quality of the finish is phenomenal. If youā€™re after the highest possible finish itā€™s a good idea to hire a commercial paint gun from your local tool shop. Though the cheaper pot style paint guns which can be purchased from local hardware stores can also produce a fantastic finish too.

7. Use quality paint

Letā€™s face it. Painting is not something you want to do more times than is necessary. Low quality paints will not last as long which means youā€™ll have to repaint within a shorter time period.

Many of the good brands of paint provide a guarantee. Use the length of their guarantee as a guide when purchasing paint.

8. Buy more paint than you needPainting a house DIY hacks

Quality paint is not cheap. Especially when youā€™re only buying a small pot. When in doubt of how much paint youā€™ll need for your project itā€™s always a good idea to be on the conservative side and get a little more than what you estimate is necessary.

Itā€™s better to buy the bigger tin of paint than go for the medium tin and go back to get an additional small tin.

9. Paint in dry weather

If youā€™re painting outdoors, wait until the weather is clear and dry. Check the local weather forecast in the lead up to the scheduled day for your painting project. Just prior to starting the project check the forecast again.

Keep an eye on the weather throughout the day and if there are signs of rain then itā€™s best to stop and leave it for another day. The last thing you want is streak marks on your new paint job.

10. Remove switch covers and power outlet covers

Donā€™t worry, you donā€™t have to be an electrician to remove a cover. Removing covers is so much faster than taping the covers. And carefully painting around them. Remove the cover paint around the switch or power outlet, and when youā€™re done, simply put the cover back on.

11. Paint from top to bottom

The lazy option is to paint until just above your head height and then use a ladder to reach the higher places. Bad idea. In the case of paint spillage and splashing it is always best practise to start at the top and work your way down.

12. Plastic wrap paint containers between coats

If youā€™re painting on a hot day and youā€™re waiting for your first coat of paint to dry, instead of washing the brushes after each coat, simply wrap them in plastic wrap and place them in the fridge. Do this with you paint containers too. This will prevent paint on the edges of the container from drying out.

13. Use disposable paint containers

A paint container is simply a container which you carry around with you as you are painting. To save time on the clean-up phase, opt for repurposed plastic containers such as juice bottles or milk bottles. If youā€™re using a roller go to the hardware store and pickup liners for the paint tray.

When youā€™re finished simply throw away the used containers and liners.

Conclusion

Whether youā€™re a total beginner or a pro at this sort of thing, a few of the house painting tricks and tips weā€™ve shared with you here should prove to be helpful.

There is no doubt that painting your house will leave your walls looking great and will be well worth your time and effort into the project.

Ben Smith
Ben Smithhttps://painterswaggawagga.com.au/
Ben Smith is part of a team of professional house painters, and enjoys transforming rooms and homes into spaces that families love. Ben jumps at the opportunity to paint unique homes and interesting feature walls whenever possible.
Share this

PEOPLE ARE READING NOW