You know how the saying goes, “If you fail to prepare…you prepare to fail.”; this adage is very applicable to interior painting projects. Our Benjamin Moore paint experts have easy tips for the perfect paint job.

Inspect the Walls

Give your walls a thorough once-over to check for holes, cracks, or gaps. You’ll want to fill these with a spackling compound before you paint. If you don’t fix these flaws, they will only become more prominent after you paint.

Sand and Clean the Walls

Cleaning your walls removes any dirt, fingerprints, or grease that will make it difficult for paint to adhere correctly. When cleaning, pay close attention to a few areas:

• Glossy surfaces, such as trim
• Kitchen walls, especially near the stove
• The lower portion if you have pets; their fur can leave residue on the wall
• Areas that are likely to have fingerprints, such as around light switches

After you clean your walls and allow them to dry, give them a light sanding to remove excess putty from repairs and create an even surface.

Grab Painter’s Tape

Using painter’s tape helps to ensure you’ll have clean lines around trim, outlets, and light switches. Painter’s tape is a must-have if you’ll paint stripes on a wall. Timing is vital when removing the tape. Pulling the tape off if the paint is too wet can smudge the crisp edges you worked so hard for. Too dry paint may pull off the wall when you remove the tape. The golden hour to remove painter’s tape is just before the paint is dry and is still slightly tacky.

To Prime Or Not To Prime

That is the question. The answer is that priming is usually the route you want to take. This is especially true if you’re making a drastic color change or switching from a higher sheen to a lower one. Even if neither is true, priming the walls ensures the paint will not absorb the drywall or other painted surfaces, meaning you’ll need fewer coats to finish the job. Regarding coats, most surfaces require a minimum of two for even coverage, so factor that in when you’re blocking off time to paint. Latex paint needs at least four hours to dry completely.

Additional Pro Tips

• Don’t remove every lighting source when you’re rearranging furniture before painting. You’ll want the areas you’re painting lit to ensure you don’t miss any spots.
• Drop cloths are your friend. Even professional painters drip and spill, and it’s much easier to clean or throw away a tarp than to remove paint from floors or furniture.
• Have your supplies ready before you begin so you aren’t searching for your angled brush when cutting in at the corners of a room.
• Check the weather before you paint. Even if you’re painting indoors, the temperature and humidity level can affect the speed at which your paint dries.

Contact Us

21st Century Paints is the area’s premier Benjamin Moore paint dealer. We can handle residential, commercial, and industrial jobs and offer specialty products. Call us at (419) 841-2100, text us at (419) 293-5396 or contact us online. We proudly serve Holland, Toledo, Bowling Green, Findlay, Sandusky, Ohio, and Monroe, Michigan.