Tips & Tricks…

Take a day for prep

Set aside time the day before painting to move furniture, patch walls and tape. Take more time prepping than painting, it pays off big time.

Remove hardware

Put all the bits of the door knobs or switch plates into separate zip top bags and write where they came from on the bag.

Move stuff

Take everything off the walls and move what you can to another room. If you can’t move it out, put it all toward the centre of the room and cover with drop cloths.

Use Primer

The paint will perform much better and tinted primers save money and time by reducing the number of coats you’ll need to do.

Clean as you go

Have paper towels and rags handy. Scrape excess paint or drips from windows, tile, or glass with straight razor blades.

Keep the paint flowing smoothly

Only transfer about an inch into your tray or painting container. Cover your paint can in between these refills to keep the air out.

Storing your brush

Instead of washing it out each time you take a break just use plastic wrap around it. For overnight, wrap in plastic, put it in a bag and store it in the freezer.

Save your leftover paint, not the giant cans

Use small glass jars or food storage containers to store just the bit of paint you’ll need for touching up scratches or dents and label clearly.

Dip It

Don’t submerge a brush more than a third of the way into the paint. Excess paint won’t speed the process, but it will clog the base of the bristles, making cleanup more difficult and shortening the life of the brush.

Clean It

Wipe the rim of the paint can with a screwdriver wrapped in a rag. If you have paint in the groove, you won’t be able to seal the top tightly.

Label It

Cover the open can with plastic wrap to create a clean seal, then pound on the lid with a hammer. Dab a little paint on the lid with a rag to remind you of the colour. Write the paint’s name and number on the lid with a permanent marker so you can reorder if necessary.

Store It

Keep cans upside down to create a tight seal around the lid.

Bag It

No time to clean? Place your roller cover in a zip top bag and store it in the fridge or in a cool spot during painting breaks (or overnight). Be sure there’s no excess air in the bag.

How much paint to buy

Measure walls first so you’ll know how much paint to buy. Typically, 4 litres of paint covers 37 square metres.

19 litre bucket

For big jobs that require large amounts of paint, keep the colour consistent by mixing all the cans in a large bucket.

Tray liner

Line the inside of your paint tray with a plastic kitchen trash bag, taped in place for easy clean up later.

Drop cloths

Protect furniture with plastic coverings. Place a reusable canvas drop cloth, which is less slippery than plastic, on the floor.

Sponge

Before priming, wash the walls with a few drops of dishwashing detergent mixed with water.

Protect your head

Wear a cap or scarf to protect your hair from splatters or accidently bumping into wet walls head first!

Wet rags

Have on hand a couple of wet rags for instant wiping when the paint goes where it shouldn’t.

Treat your hands

Before painting, apply a good layer of lotion to your hands and arms so spatters are easier to clean off your body.

Painting a light colour over a dark colour

If you want to cover a dark paint with a light coloured paint, first paint the walls with a stain blocker. This eliminates bleed-through of the darker colour or stains and will mean fewer coats of the lighter paint are required.

The right type of roller

Use the correct type of roller for each painting job. If there is light texture on your wall, use a semi-smooth or rough texture roller. You will be far less exasperated and will get a much smoother coat of paint if you use the right roller.

Stirring

Get a stick that is long enough to reach the bottom of your paint can when you are stirring your paint. When you stir from the bottom, the paint will mix better and the colour that tends to settle at the bottom of the paint bucket will be distributed more evenly.

Painting with a roller

Paint strokes with a roller should be done in a “W” pattern. Go up and down with the roller making multiple W’s until they all overlap and the entire wall is covered. After this you should smooth the paint in non-diagonal strokes to blend glossy finishes.