As one of the most trusted professional painters in Exeter, we often get asked how you paint a room to perfection. We don’t usually give out our secrets (!) but thought that it was time to let you into some of the professional painting techniques it takes to get a flawless finish, just like the pros…
How to Paint a Room Like the Professionals
1. Preparation Really is Key
To be able to apply a perfectly smooth coat of paint to a wall, the wall itself must first be made perfectly smooth. As a professional painter and decorator, I know only too well that time is money. I have learned how to work smarter, faster and neater without compromising on quality, and I know that it NEVER pays to cut corners on the preparation stage. I spend lots of time sanding the walls to iron out any nail marks, feathering, or rough spots in wooden skirting boards and door frames etc to ensure that the surface of the wall is as smooth and blemish free as can be before painting.
Preparation is so important for getting the best results, that I have invested in professional-grade surface preparation sanding machines by Festool to make surface preparation easier and more faultless than ever before. They also extract 99% of the dust so it protects my clients’ from fine dust particles and mess. Expert sanding and filling is what distinguishes the professional decorators from the amateurs, so don’t ever forget the prep stage!
2. Buy the Best Quality Tools for the Job
They say that a bad workman blames his tools, but bad tools can really have a negative effect on the final result. Cheap brushes are false economy – if you purchase the best paint brushes you can afford and clean them well, they will last you a lifetime. Not only this, but they enable a smoother paint transition from pot to wall. Cheap brushes make the paint look as though it was applied with a rake (!) and a professional painter can notice the work of a cheap brush from 20 feet away.
It’s also important to buy the best quality paint you can afford as it really does make a difference to the final result. It also means you will be able to wipe grubby hand marks off in the future without the paint being rubbed off. As a chosen Dulux Select Decorator, we use the highest quality AkzoNobel Trade products and work to strict Dulux Code of Practice. Our work is guaranteed for 2 years after the job is completed and underpinned by Dulux for your peace of mind.
3. Use a Tinted Primer
Before professional painters paint a wall, they first fill holes and patch cracks with filler. But if you paint directly over the patched areas, the filler tends to “suck” the moisture out of the paint, giving it a flat, dull look. This negative effect is called “flashing.” Patched spots will look noticeably different than the rest of the wall so to avoid seeing this and to guarantee a good final look, it’s important to first prime the walls.
Top Tip! Instead of using white primer straight from the paint can, professional decorators in-the-know often tint the primer with the colour of the finish paint. Tinted primer is more effective at concealing patched areas and covering up the old paint. As a result, the finish paint coat will be more smoother, more vibrant and may require fewer coats. This is especially true when painting over bright paint colours like red or orange, which could require three or more topcoats coats if you don’t first apply a tinted primer. You’re welcome 🙂
4. Professional Painters Tape – Top Tip!
Although we do tape off carpets to remove the risk of fluff, professional painters like us are adept at cutting in lines freehand. Amateur painters often use tape as it’s a handy way of cutting in skirting boards and such like before painting. Taping off wooden trims as part of your painting preparation can remove the risk of getting paint where you don’t want it. However nothing is more discouraging than peeling off the masking tape and finding that the paint has bled through and made a mess of the woodwork!
Our top tip for tape (if you must use it) is to ensure that you press the tape down firmly with a putty knife so that you ensure it is sealed as tightly as possible. Also, be sure to use true painter’s tape, not masking tape. Professional painters’ tape is designed not to bleed with water-based house paints. Masking tape is a crepe paper tape with a natural rubber adhesive that might bleed and leave a residue that’s hard to clean off. Plus, paint can cause masking tape to buckle and wrinkle, which lets paint seep beneath it. Professional painters tape can be left on for days (some types up to two weeks) and still peel off cleanly.
If you are thinking about painting your house, we hope that these top professional painting and decorating tips are useful! Better still, why don’t you get Exeter’s favourite painting and decorating company to do it for you. Less mess, less hassle and a professional job from start to finish. Get in touch for a free quotation, we look forward to helping you transform your living spaces!