5 Tips from a Professional Painter and Decorator

With the cost of living nowadays, many homeowners are seeking to paint or decorate their homes DIY as opposed to hiring a professional to undertake the work instead.

While this can be a great way of saving money, a range of issues can arise if the project is not completed correctly.

If you’re not entirely sure how to paint or decorate correctly, it may lead to a poorly executed paint job or decoration project with aesthetic issues or, at worse, pose health and safety concerns.

Follow the Instructions to a T

First and foremost, it’s essential that you follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully, whether for a paint job or decorating (e.g. replacing wallpaper).

This is essential not only for ensuring the best possible outcome but for your health and safety and that of anyone else in your home.

So, be sure to carefully read the instructions. That said, if in doubt about any aspect of the project, consult a professional or even hire one to err on the side of caution.

With some luck, though, all of your questions will be answered by the instructions, and you won’t be left with any doubt as to what is required to paint or decorate a room correctly and safely. All in all, though, safety comes first for any paint or decorating job.

Paint in Sufficient Light

Whether or not it’s mentioned in the manufacturer’s instructions when it comes to an interior paint project, it is best to do so in sufficient light (and ideally naturally light).

Due to the shadows created by artificial light, you may not get the visuals necessary to paint a section of your home correctly. So, where possible, paint in natural light to get the optimal views needed to add the right amount of paint to the right places at the right time.

If you cannot paint in natural light, do the best you can to avoid areas without the same level of paint as others.

Ensure You Paint Top to Bottom

Next is a big point that many DIYers miss, but it’s critical to paint walls correctly.

That is to make sure that you paint from top to bottom, not the other way around. This is because you want to avoid paint dripping onto areas you’ve just painted, which would only add headaches and prolong your paint project.

In practice, this could mean painting the ceiling initially (if part of your proposed DIY paint project) before painting the walls from top to bottom. Last but not least, you’ll want to paint (again, if applicable) the skirting/woodwork.

Use The Right Tools

Another consideration for painting a room effectively is that you use the right tools for the task at hand.

This doesn’t simply mean employing the right type of tools, which will vary depending on how you want to approach the project (e.g. paint brush, roller, roller tray, primer, masking tape, sandpaper, etc.). You’ll also want to make sure that you use high-quality tools.

In general, low-cost/budget tools won’t be up to the task and will likely lead to a suboptimal outcome. So, invest in tools that will enable you to complete the paint project effectively. Moreover, high-grade paint tools should last a long time, too.

Smooth Out Newly Added Wallpaper

Note: When running a smoother over wallpaper, just be careful not to push against it with too much strength, or else it can lead to issues like stretching the wallpaper.

If you plan on adding wallpaper, one of the most important tips you should take heed of is that it’s important to smooth out newly added wallpaper.

Firstly, it’s worth adding that removing old wallpaper (if this applies to the room question) can help ensure a smoother application of new wallpaper.

That said, the most important consideration is that you run the smoother over all of the newly added wallpaper once it has been applied per the manufacturer’s instructions. Make sure to go over all of the wallpaper without any spots missed.

Would you like to find a reliable painter and decorator? Take a look at the range of painters we have at MyJobQuote.

If you'd like some more tips from the professionals, check out these guides too:

• Tips from a builder
• Tips from a plumber
• Gardener tips
• Tips from a kitchen fitter