6 Most Common Home Painting Mistakes

When you pick a brush to paint, what goes on in your mind? Are you thinking about a flawless masterpiece that people will look at in wonderment? With each brush stroke, you want the painters to feel your passion and to ignite a desire in them for your painting services. You want them to think about you first whenever they see a good paint job. You want them to call you whenever they need a professional paint job done.

To have this kind of impact and get customers banging on your door, you need to fix the following mistakes that other home painters make.

1. Fresh Splatters

When painting, latex paint will invariably drip from the trim, floors, and walls. It is important to get rid of these drips as soon as possible. Some painters take too long before removing splatters. As a result, they dry up and become very stubborn to come off. If the paint splatter has dried up, remove it by sanding until the surface is smooth. Next, clean up the affected section with a damp cloth before repainting it.

If needed, first apply a primer and let it dry completely before repainting. If the drip is on a tiled floor or on the hardwood, use a razor to get under the drip to remove the paint. To prevent such splatter and spills, always use painters’ tape and drop cloths between the trim work and the walls. You should also cover doorknobs with tape and plastic bags.

2. Paint Spills on the Carpet

If you accidentally drop your paint roller on the carpet, use a scraper to remove the spill immediately. Do this carefully and on location. Avoid spreading the paint to other areas of your carpet. To get rid of the spill completely, use a thick sponge to absorb whatever remaining paint the scraper could not remove.

Repeat the process until all the paint is gone. When the paint is gone, use a dishwashing detergent and warm water to clean the area and leave it to dry.

If the paint has already dried up on the carpet, use paint removers. There is a range of paint removers at your local hardware shop. It is important that you follow the manufacturer’s instructions before using the remover.

3. Wrinkled Paint

If you see wrinkled paint on any area of your surface, let the paint dry first before sanding the affected area. Once your surface is smooth, use a damp cloth to dust it and then leave it to dry. After it has dried up completely, apply a primer and let it dry before repainting.

4. Colour Bleeding

If your old colour is showing under your new coat of paint, it is possible you forgot to use a primer. This can happen if you are changing from a dark paint to a lighter tone. Always prime your surface and leave it to dry properly before applying a new coat of paint.

5. Paint Has Lint

Before repainting the affected area, thoroughly clean the roller using soapy water. Remove most of the water by spinning the roller and then stand it on the handle’s end to dry. After drying up completely, run a duct tape or a roll of packing over it to keep lint off. When the paint has dried up, get the lint off your wall by sanding, and then use a damp cloth to get rid of the dust before repainting the wall.

6. Excessively Bright Colours

You can tone down the colour of your paint if it is too bright when applied on a wall. First, you can return the remaining paint to the store and let them adjust it to your satisfaction. If you want it lighter, they will most likely tone it down by adding some white paint to it. Second, if you have just noticed the colour excess after completing the job, use a colour glaze to minimize the intensity of the colour.