Are you looking to give your walls a freshen up or a full colour makeover? Spring is the perfect season to do so, the days a longer, the weather is great and who doesn’t want to spend their free weekends DIY’ing. If you have some home improvements and painting on the cards, here is your guide to applying the perfect coat that will endure the test of time.
PAINTING PREP
- Cover all surfaces – Lay down drop sheets to protect your carpets and floorboards from paint splatters and dust.
- Patch it up – Inspect all walls, doors and window frames for any discrepancies. Fill any holes, gaps around windows, faulty doors, and damaged skirting boards before you commence painting. You should be able to complete all these fixes without calling in the pros (which is a bonus!).
- Sand surfaces – This step is absolutely essential and should not be skipped! You want your walls and painted surfaces to look smooth and flawless, so not only is it important to sand before painting, but you should also sand in between coats.
- Clear it out – Move out any furniture and remove any fixtures and fittings to ensure they do not get damaged by paint.
- Sugar soap your walls – This will give you an even better paint job as it helps remove any grease and grime from the surface.
- Get it together – Set up a little work station with everything you need within arms reach. It helps you keep your mess at bay, rather than spreading it throughout the house.
TOOLS OF THE TRADE
- A range of different brushes – You will need brushes for painting corners, smaller details, and defined lines, so it is a good idea to ensure you have a few different options on hand.
- Painters tape – For the small sum of $10 you can ensure your paint job is nice and neat. Don’t even think about trying those fine lines free handed, we can guarantee you it won’t turn out well.
- Filling blade – This will come in handy when filling in those pesky holes or gaps.
- Rollers and extension poles – If you are painting ceilings you will need extension poles. If you are just painting walls it is also important to have a few different rollers available so you can reach those hard to get places.
- Range of nap covers – For gloss and semigloss paints you will want to use 6-8mm nap covers, while 20-32mm nap covers are better suited to rough surfaces such as concrete.
- Hand sander – This will come in handy when sanding down any glossy surfaces to help with paint adhesion.
- Paint trays – You will want to make sure the roller nap covers and extensions fit the paint trays.
- Rags (lots of them) – Your hands (and you) will inevitably get dirty, so it is a good idea to have some old rags on hand to help limit the spread of paint smears.
- Cordless drill – This will make removing fixtures and fittings all that much easier and quicker.
CHOOSING A COLOUR
- Inspiration – Scour websites, magazines, social media and even your family or friends properties for inspiration. This will help you decipher what is on-trend and what may be able to work in your space. There are multiple paint swatch apps on the market that will help you find the exact colour you are after. Check out: Dulux Color App, Colour 911 and Resene ColourMatch.
- Dark vs Light – Light colours will open up the space, while darker colours have the opposite effect. You will want to consider how these colours will flow from room to room and how they will suit your furniture.
- Follow the Trend or Keep it Classic? – On-trend colours have the tendency to come as go, and if you don’t feel like repainting your walls every few years, a neutral colour palette might be the go for you. On the other hand, if you love embracing the trend, absolutely go for gold. Your walls are your very own canvas!
- Testing Paint Samples – Once you have narrowed down some options, head down to your hardware store and grab some sample pots. Paint a generous section of the wall and observe how it suits the space. You will want to see how it works during the daylight as well as the night. Try living with these colours for a week or so before deciding. It should really help you narrow it down to one winner.
We hope these tips help you with your next DIY mission. Stay tuned for more renovating tips and tricks in the coming weeks.
