Painting a wall is easy, right? You just slap some paint on and it's done? No! There is so much more to successfully painting a wall and we don't want you to feel disappointed with a lacklustre finish, so brought together a list of absolute painting no-nos.
We looked at how professional decorators tackle the task of painting, gleaned all their top tips and we aren't afraid to share the love with you. After all, we want you to have the best home possible and if that means spilling the beans on all the professional secrets we can find, so be it.
Read on to learn all about the mistakes you really don't want to be making!
It can be tempting to assume that your walls are fine as they are but preparation is a major part of the painting process. You need to clean your walls thoroughly and let them dry before you start, not to mention filling holes and sanding back the filler.
Don't skip the prep, it just isn't worth it!
Those value packs in DIY stores sure do seem like good value for money, don't they? That is until they start shedding bristles into your fresh paint and leaving chunks of fluff where you don't want them.
Buy cheap, buy twice; that's the rule, so fork out a little more and you'll find the job a lot easier.
Washi tape and masking tape are not the same things as professional painter's tape. They will leave a residue where you don't want it or, worse still, rip off existing paint!
Buy the proper stuff and you'll find the end result far more satisfactory.
This goes doubly for those of you putting a light colour over an existing dark one. Primer does exactly what it says on the tin; gives you a good surface to paint your final colour onto.
Yes, you will have to paint the room more than once but your finished walls will look far more even and beautiful.
It's easy to lose yourself when staring at paint chips and getting excited about colours, but don't forget to think about the type of paint you are buying.
A matte finish is a nightmare in heavy traffic areas as you can't wash it. If you're not hugely keen on a shiny finish, opt for satin or a more expensive wipeable matte.
If you have gloss walls, say in your living room, that you're desperate to get rid of, there is no easy fix. We're sorry to break it to you, but you will have to sand them before you paint over.
If you don't, you'll get a patchy finish that could actually peel off so make sure to factor in time to 'key' the walls for proper adhesion.
More isn't always better and big globs of paint that drip off your brush onto the floor and run down the walls make for a terrible finish.
The key is even strokes, so only load as much as you need onto your brush and work slowly and methodically. Why rush if you'll have to sand it back and start again anyway?
Think about where you're going to start painting and make a plan. We always think you should start at ceiling height and work down, covering evenly as you go.
If you work your way up, you might lean into fresh paint as you steady yourself and that leads to an awful mess!
It just doesn't work! You're far better off stripping the wallpaper off and starting from scratch, or using a heavier paint. If you have heavily patterned paper, getting good coverage will be difficult anyway so why make it harder for yourself?
Grab a steamer and start stripping!
You might have an idea of what colour you want, but unless you colour swatch you won't really know if it will work and look good.
You need to take into account lighting during different times of the day, how your furniture looks and all sorts of other aesthetic concerns before you take the plunge and buy a huge pot.
Speaking of lighting, you need to get a good idea of how your natural and electrical lighting will work with your chosen colour.
To do this, we suggest painting a large square in the centre of your biggest wall and seeing how the room feels in the morning, afternoon and at night. If you're still happy, then by all means go wild and paint all the other walls too.
Just because a colour is in Vogue, it doesn't mean you have to paint your house in it.
If you happen to like the colours that are in right now, great. But if not, who really cares? It's your house so paint it how you want to, not how the Pantone colour of the year suggests you should.
You might love pastel colours but are they practical in a family home that has pets?
Grubby fingers and paws make quick work of making paler colours look tired and grubby, so think about those high traffic areas and practicality. It'll be you cleaning it, after all!
Hey, we applaud anyone that's willing to 'have a go' at some fancy techniques, but don't run before you can walk.
Practice on some lining paper before you take that bespoke roller to your bedroom walls or you could end up with a serious mess on your hands and a far more abstract wall than you planned for.
Just like the prep stage, we know that clear up is a chore but do it right and you'll be able to re-use your brushes and rollers at a later date.
Find out how you need to clean them by looking on your paint tins and actually spend 15 minutes doing it. It's not long and will save you money on your next home improvement project!
For more DIY advice, take a look at this Ideabook: Mistakes people made painting their house façade.
