Have you been watching The Block and convinced you have what it takes to give your house a lick of paint? Before you go nuts with your paint brush - preparation is key to a long-lasting paint job! Here are a few tips to help you on your painting journey!
1. Clean all surfaces
Make sure that before you apply paint to any walls, you have taken the time to dust down all surfaces and wiped down all the walls. Especially the ones that have existing dirt/fingerprints/food scrapes #nojudgement
TIP: Once you have cleaned the walls, allow around 24 hours for the walls to dry!
2. Cover it!
If you do not want all your possessions covered in little spots of paint then COVER IT.
A little miracle called a ‘drop sheet’ will help protect surfaces from spillage and absorb paint drops and stop it getting into carpets, wood floors, glass or any other surface that is hard to clean after contact with paint.
For all the other “smaller” items/hard to cover items, Masking Tape will be your new best friend! This can be used on light fitting, power points, around windows etc. Our favourite masking tape at the moment is Smartline Masking Tape
TIP: Have you prepped your heart out, covered everything and STILL managed to get paint on your beloved items? Invest in some good quality painter remover! Our fav at moment is Motsenbocker’s Lift Off.
3. Patch It!
I am all for the "magic of paint" however, unfortunately no amount of paint will fill holes, cracks or imperfections. These annoying little imperfections need to be "sanded" + "patched". If you are feeling game and would like to experiment then go and visit your local paint shop (Paint Place, Taubmans, Dulux etc) or even Bunnings! They will steer you in the right direction with what "DIY Classes" are coming up.
Or give the Neilsen's Painting team a call. We offer a "Patch & Paint" service - not just full repaints #shamelessplug
4. Coffee (or Wine)
It is HIGHLY suggested that you have sufficient coffee (or wine) during the entire painting process. Painting is a tedious job and at times - STRESSFUL #coffeeforthewin
If all of this has made you second guess your decision to DIY, then give us a call! A high-quality paint job is not just about the ‘brand’ & ‘type’ of paint - it is also about the preparation!
Thanks, Angie - The P4INTA Wife