Mistakes An Amateur Interior Painters May Commit

Many people choose to be the interior painters of their own houses because they are leery of the expense of hiring a professional to do the job.  Unfortunately, they make unsightly painting errors.  When they can no longer tolerate looking at their mistakes, they get a professional to do a repaint.  Here are some of the errors that amateurs commit.

When Choosing Paint Implements

A common error among do-it-yourself painters is picking just any paintbrush for the job.  The type of paint often dictates the type of paintbrush to use.  For instance, paintbrushes made of a combination of nylon and polyester are best for latex-based types of paint.  The area to be painted will also indicate whether a brush or roller should be used.  Unfortunately, there are those who use brushes instead of rollers for large areas.

Estimating the amount of paint to use is also very important.  Those who lack prior interior painting experience often underestimate the amount needed.  This often leads to paying more or having too much wasted paint in the end.

When Preparing The Work Area

Amateurs often miss things when preparing the work area.  Some furniture or portions of the floor are left uncovered.  It is surprising the places paint can drop onto.  For example, paint can splash on doorknobs that are not covered, leaving unsightly splotches or stains.  Sometimes paint cans are opened without being placed on top of a drop cloth to protect the floor.

Sufficient taping is often neglected as well.  Amateurs try to paint around the various woodwork, such as the windowsill and the doorframe, instead of taping these to produce straight lines.  They also forget to remove wall plates and light switches or to tape their edges.

Before painting, amateurs skip things like surface preparation.  The wall needs to be dry, free of imperfections, and primed.  When the painter is impatient and tries to finish the job quickly by making shortcuts the end result is an unsatisfactory paint job.

The inexperienced assume that the area to be painted on is already clean and do not go to the trouble of actually cleaning it to be sure.  Small imperfections are not patched prior to sanding and primer application.  At times, the patch is not allowed to dry sufficiently.  Even worse, some decide to paint without applying a primer first, a substance that helps paint adhere to the wall as well as bring out its color.

When Applying Paint

The proper way of using a paintbrush is not followed.  For instance, when applying latex-based paint, the brush should first be wet with water and shaken dry before being dipped in paint.  This step allows the brush to hold more paint.

Sometimes paint is also inadvertently allowed to build up on edge pads on the ceiling or corners.  If paint is not wiped off frequently from these, excess paint may accidentally mark the wrong surface.

Knowing when one should not paint is also essential.  If it is too humid, there is too much moisture in the air.  This moisture will prevent the paint from adhering properly to the surface being painted and result in problems later on, like sagging or blistering.

When Someone Else Does The Job

Knowing the mistakes amateurs commit will help one spot those pretending to be experienced professionals.  The expertise of those who know their trade is evident from the very start.  They make the proper preparations, they carefully execute the paint job, and they care for the objects in the work area.

The interior painters at United Home Experts embody the characteristics mentioned.  The amateurish mistakes indicated above are unheard of in jobs that they take. The many successful jobs and satisfied customers they have, not just in the Boston area but in all the other places they serve, make the company an excellent choice.