While painting a room isn’t necessarily a difficult DIY job, it’s not always easy—how many coats does one wall need again?
There are a few critical ways to prepare before you get started on your paint project, as well as some things that you should consider as you go. If you’re planning to tackle any of your rooms with a paintbrush this year, it’s a good idea to make sure you’re approaching it strategically.
With this in mind, we turned to an expert for some guidance and advice.
Ryan Beery is a franchise owner of several Color World Painting locations, specializing in interior and exterior painting and product recommendations.
Dekay and Tate
According to Ryan Beery of Color World Painting, the first thing you should do to prep for a paint project is to assess any safety requirements specific to your home.
If your house was built before 1978, be leery of lead paint. Beery strongly advises that you purchase a lead test kit and educate yourself about lead safety—the EPA website is a valuable resource for this information.”
Preparing for a DIY job is a lot like preparing to cook a meal. You need to make sure you have everything you need on hand and ready to go so that once you open up that paint can, you don’t have to stop in the middle and run to the store.
Luckily, Beery shared his list of essential supplies.
You also may need sanding sponges and joint compound depending on the scale of the project, Beery says.
The Spruce / Alyssa Vela
Painting pros know that slapping on a coat of paint isn’t as easy as it seems. As Beery points out, you need to ready your surface first to ensure the paint adheres to whatever it is you’re painting, be it a wall or cabinet.
“Make sure your surfaces are clean, dry, and dull,”
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