Getting ready to start a painting project? Here are 20 (very) practical tips, and you'll thank us later!
20 tips for painting like a pro
1. Dust your surfaces with a dry cloth before starting.
2. Wash walls thoroughly with water and degreasing detergent, then rinse with clean water.
3. Bring your old rollers back to life by chiseling off the crusty paint edges.
4. Hate the smell of paint? Put 2 or 3 drops of vanilla extract in your full paint pot and mix well.
5. Have your brushes hardened? Soak them in warm vinegar for 30 minutes before rinsing with soapy water.
6. Place a rubber band around your paint can, vertically, so that it runs right through the center of the can. Use it to wipe your brush after dipping to avoid drips and spills.
7. Large cardboard boxes or old sheets work well to protect floors, if you don't have any protective fabric or plastic.
8. Don't have any tape to protect your windows? Stick strips of slightly wet newspaper to the glass along the surfaces to be painted, then remove them.
9. Protect screws, handles and other metal details by pre-painting them with Vaseline; the paint will not adhere to them!
10. If you want to paint the ceiling, always start with the ceiling, then paint the walls.
11. For optimum coverage and no trace of brushstrokes, paint the surfaces by tracing Ws with your roller, filling the empty spaces from top to bottom.
12. To avoid wasting paint, scrape the roller with a butter knife to remove all the paint. It will also be easier to clean.
13. Gently rub a painted surface you find too rough in circular movements with very fine sandpaper. It will sand gently for a softer finish.
14. If your room smells too strongly of paint, cut an onion in half and leave it in the room for a few hours. It will absorb much of the smell.
15. To remove paint stains from skin, leather or rubber, rub with a little olive oil.
16. If you plan to give a second one a little later, put your rollers and brushes in the freezer, wrapped in plastic. Take them out an hour before use.
17. Start painting the corners and edges before rolling.
18. Remove your tapes before the paint dries completely.
19. Always keep a damp cloth with you to clean your paint debates.
20. Wrap your brushes or rollers in a damp cloth to prevent the paint from drying out between coats.
