Top Tips for Painting
Painting is one of the easiest and most accessible ways to make change in your home. For the past 5 years I’ve focused on paint alone to make big changes and big impact in our homes. From stencil painting our fireplace to painting our kitchen backsplash, it never fails to give me the boost I’m looking for.
painting is one of the easiest ways to makeover a space.
Over the years, I’ve learned a lot about painting- what products work, what tools are needed, and the general push to get started (sometimes the hardest part is just getting started!). These tips below range from tools to overall advice.
Use a Good Brush
A good brush is key for making trim work, cutting in, and overall projects easy. I am smitten with the 2-inch Short Cut Brush from Wooster. There are other brands that make a similar brush, but always seek this one out when you can. The short handle allows for you to move-and-groove and it doesn’t get in your way.
A Small Hand Pail
A smaller hand pail makes moving quickly around the room and painting trim or a smaller project a breeze. I have the Wooster Pelican Pail and I reuse the liners that go with it. A Handy Pail is also an option, but personally I like that the Wooster Pelican allows room for smaller sized rollers that work well with large trim and doors.
Paint Edger
I’ll be honest, I thought the paint edger was a product that you would find in the “As Seen on TV” section. As in, it worked, but not quite as well as advertised and wasn’t worth the trouble or cost of having another tool. But BOY, I was wrong. I recently scooped up a Paint Edger at Lowes (also at Home Depot and Amazon ) This works like a dream for cutting on on walls, avoiding paint on trim/crown molding and also cutting in on a ceiling when there isn’t any crown molding.
Prep & Tape
This is a bit of a personality preference and project preference. In our last house, the walls were all flat and smooth and I rarely felt like I needed to tape. Cut-to our current house where all the walls and ceilings are textured (just the worst) and it makes painting messier. The thicker paint rollers that are required for the rougher walls make little tiny paint splatters everywhere if painting hastily, leaving more room for error. I hate anything feeling fussy or feeling like it needs to be babied, so sometimes prepping allows me to feel like I can do my thing while painting. Large cardboard boxes are one of my favorite places to put paint cans and paint trays and then I can slide it around as needed and it’s super sturdy.
I also love canvas drop clothes to throw over tables or anywhere else you don’t want to worry about. They fold up and store so easily and they are much more environmentally friendly. I still have a few plastic drop clothes for when I really need it, but man I hate folding them up.
The paint edger has greatly decreased my need to feel like I need to tape off, but there are still times like painting quarter round near the tiled floor that tape helps it go quicker.
Storage
It’s important to be aware of where you store your paint and tools when they are not in use.
When you are in-between applying coats of paint for a project, wrap your brushes in plastic grocery bags (or something similar) and place them in the refrigerator. They will last like this for weeks if not months. This is dream when you are doing a whole house or lots of project at once, but you also want to take breaks and rest between each project.
Your paint should be stored somewhere where it is mostly temperature controlled. A basement or utility closet inside is a great place. Storing it anywhere like a garage or attic exposes the paint to high and low temperature fluctuations. The paint will become thick and sludge-y and can even make it trickier to mix when you need to go use it again.
Types of Paint
And my last paint tip is, get the best trim paint you can afford. Anything with a self-leveling property will go a long way in making the trim look high end and even. Always plan on two coats and check it for any missing spots in different kinds of light.
Walls: Flat or Eggshell (If you have any texture, flat is better. If you need it to be more wipeable/durable, go eggshell)
Trim: Satin or Semi-Gloss
Ceiling: Flat (Ceiling is typically available in a flat ceiling paint, but I always as for the blend that’s a touch warmer white to have it flow with our trim and walls better)
Happy Painting!
Hugs,
Meredith
