Paint your walls like a professional with these simple to do tips.
One way to instantly improve the look of your home is with a fresh coat of paint. An alternative to wallpapering, you can create a feature wall with one bold colour or use it as an opportunity to showcase one of this year’s trend paint colours. To make sure your paint looks like it has been applied by a professional follow these four simple steps.
1. Take time to prepare in advance.
Don’t get too excited and splash on your new emerald green without getting your room ready for its revamp. Ideally you want to remove all items from the room to protect them and give you space. Should this not be possible then move everything into the centre of the room to free up space around the walls. Don’t forget to cover all your belongings with a dust sheet and place one on the floor too. Then prep your walls. Clean them with sugar soap to remove any residue to create the perfect surface before application. Once they are dry, mask round the edges to ensure you have a nice clean finish with a straight line.
2. Cut in properly.
After prepping your walls you are ready to cut in like a professional. With a paintbrush, dip half of the bristles into the paint and remove any excess by gently taping it on the side of the tin. Then paint all the areas that you cannot reach with a roller and areas that need precision painting such as the corners.
3. Add your chosen colour.
To perfect cutting-in you need to do it step-by-step because you need to make sure you add paint with a roller whilst the cutting in is still wet. Otherwise you may find that the paint comes up in two varying shades. So it is advisable to start a few centimeters from the edge and always paint in the same direction of the edge. This will ensure that the paint has a smooth finish.
4. Apply with a roller.
Once cutting in is complete, it is time to use the roller. Add paint to the roller tray, and then glide the roller in a backwards and forwards motion to make sure that the paint is evenly applied evenly. Hurry this part and it will instantly show. Now apply the roller to the wall with a ‘W’ action. Move the roller as if you are spelling out this letter to create a smooth amount of coverage. Remember to use the same amount of pressure throughout and overlap each stroke for the perfect finish.
