Useful Painting and Decorating Tips for Homeowners

When it comes to home improvements, doing it yourself can save you thousands of dollars. That is why many homeowners attempt painting and decorating themselves rather than using professionals. However, painting and decorating your room or the whole house is never an easy task. It can take a lot of time and patience, not to mention the skill and creativity required. This is why most house owners opt to have their painting and decorating assignments completed by trade professionals.

Here are 5 helpful tips to get you started on your DIY painting and decorating project.

Step 1 – Decide on a vision

For the perfect finish, you should first take the time to select the appropriate colour and theme that compliments the room. There are literally thousands of colour varieties available and some companies can even help you choose and put together your own colour from scratch.

Cheap isn’t always better. It’s not necessarily a good idea to opt for cheap solutions over more expensive ones, as you may find yourself having to redo the job in a year or two’s time. Look for quality and value in a product.

Step 2 - Primer

Before you begin painting, you should add a coat of primer on the surface. Primer blocks stains and resinous knots from bleeding through and improves adhesion of paint leading to fewer blisters, effectively extending the life of the paint. It also provides one-coat coverage for the paint topcoat. When using the primer you should tint it to the finished colour by mixing a small amount of topcoat paint in it. This will ensure that the finish looks professional.

To save money choose the one colour top coat paint for all your internal doors and skirting. This way you only need to buy one tin rather than dozens. Don’t forget to use dustsheets, move furniture and make sure that you carefully tape newspaper or sheets over carpets to avoid paint spills.

Step 3 - Equipment

Painting your house can be tiresome work. Research what materials you’re working with and buy the correct hardware, otherwise you’re going to end up with a botched job that could be very expensive to fix.

Using a telescoping extension pole for your paint roller can not only save you time, but it will also lessen your chances of getting back pain. Extension poles that extend from about 18 inches to 10 feet are most suitable, and make sure they’re durable and are made to last. You should also use a paint grid, which is a rectangular, rigid metal screen that hooks onto the rim of the bucket to reduce excess paint and get ensure consistency.

Save money and wait for the sales. Hardware stores hold regular sales, so if you can hold off until discount day then you’ll be able to save even more money on the cost of materials

Step 4 - Decoration

Once the painting is complete, decorating is the next logical step. Selecting a decorating theme,which complements the room’s existing items can make or break a room. Purchasing new furniture can be expensive. Rather try changing your accessories such as cushions, lamps, light fixtures, vases or a new piece of artwork or large-scale photograph to add texture, pattern and colour to complete the space.Always check the placement of wiring and pipes behind walls before you start drilling holes!

Step 5 – If in doubt…Call in the professionals

To produce a quality-painting job, many skills and lots of care are needed. If you are confused about the painting and decorating work or you feel as if you simply don’t have the time, play it safe and hire an experienced professional to complete the work.