A fresh coat of paint is probably one of the easiest, fastest and most cost-effective way to start the summer with a new look for your home. Painting has this unique property to transform places in an instant. Well, you can achieve all that unless you do something wrong and believe me there are lots of things that can go wrong when it comes to painting. However, high standard of paint job is easy to get provided that you prep the surface correctly, use the right tools and paint.

Most articles are about best practices, tips and ideas about painting. There are not many of them which look at the most common painting mistakes and how to avoid them. But don't you worry, this article is all about these mistakes and how to get around them.

9 Things You Didn't Know About Painting

Mistake #1

Painter's tape helps you cut nice and clean corners as well as create patterns. However, a common mistake many novice painters do is to wait for the paint to dry and then rip the tape off. It's far better to remove the tape right after you have applied the latex paint.

Mistake #2

Many home-owners delay repainting their property exterior for various reasons. It's either too soon since the last time, or it's not the right moment or there aren't enough money. Though all these are valid reasons, it's good to know that an exterior paint job lasts no more than 10 years. Sometimes even less. Then it starts showing its age.

Mistake #3

Keeping everything nice and clean is recommended. However, don't scrub brushes and rollers after the end of the day, if you haven't finished with the project. Just wrap them in plastic and tighten with a rubber band.

Mistake #4

Though the idea of a new look for your place to sound tempting, don't rush through the process. You might skip a few important steps like covering all your possessions like furniture or the carpet. Latex paint is easy to clean from fabrics because it's water-soluble, but you won't find it that easy to clean oil-based paints. In case your home carpet gets stained with a non water-based paint, hire a professional carpet cleaner to treat the spot immediately.

Mistake #5

If you wonder why paint is dripping from the brush, look how deep you dip it in the can. Cover the brush in paint to where the bristles meet the metal is absolutely unnecessary. Dipping it a third of the way is more than enough.

Mistake #6

Even though applying latex paint over oil-based product seems a time-saver you are terribly wrong. It'll lead to peeling and cracking later on. There are some vital steps in the prep work which can't be omitted if you want to achieve high quality result.

Mistake #7

Applying a primer is a must. Not only will it help seal the surface, but it will also make the paint stick to the wall better. What's more, if you want to go from dark to light colour or change the shade, a coat of primer is an absolute must.

Mistake #8

It'll be annoying to run out of paint in Sunday when all stores are closed. But it'll be even more annoying to go on Monday just to find out that there isn't any paint left of the same hue you use. Calculate how much you will need before you even start painting and buy like 10% more of the amount. You can use this extra amount for touch ups later on.

Mistake #9

In most instances the prep work involves patching holes which will give the wall a nice and even look. However, if you fail to prime the plaster before you paint, you are in serious trouble. Skipping the primer part will result in the paint soaking into the patched surface. The outcome – a hideous dark spot.