Order a new set of blinds for a room within your property and there’s a good chance you’ll want to redecorate the area first. New wallpaper and a lick of paint will give the room a fresh feel. Add to this a set of blinds or made-to-measure curtains and they’re the ideal finishing touches.
Careful preparation is the key to any successful paint project and these ideas should help if you are planning to paint a room any time soon.
1. Move smaller items out of the way
Before you begin a painting project it’s not a bad idea to shift smaller ornaments out of the way. You don’t have to totally empty the room you are painting, just move any items that could be splattered by paint or knocked over as you move around the area. Remember to remove pictures, clocks and wall features prior to painting and store them in a safe place.
2. Cover larger furniture with sheets
Paint splashes should be avoided at all costs when you tackle a DIY decorating project at home. Unfortunately no matter how careful you are, you could take your eye off the ball for a minute and before you know it, there’s a flicker of paint on your brand new suite! Prevent this from happening by covering larger furniture items with old sheets. Just a few will do as you can move them around the room as you paint different sections of the house.
3. Don’t neglect the carpet
Cover the carpet too before you start applying paint to walls, doors or skirting boards. Paint drips can be difficult to get out of carpet, especially if you are using matt or gloss paint on wood and metal areas. Cover the carpet with spare dust sheets and if you spill any paint it’ll drop directly on the cloth instead of straight onto your Axminster.
4. Use masking tape
Seal along the edges of carpets, fireplace surrounds and the tops of skirting boards with easy to remove masking tape. Use the tape around the edges of light switches, sockets and door handles to prevent paint covering these areas. Carefully mask areas beforehand and you’ll save heaps of time in clean-up operations afterwards.
5. Stir paint thoroughly
Before you start applying paint give it a through stir. Left untouched in a tin for months at a time the paint will congeal and there could be a base layer of oil sitting on the top. Use a wooden stick to stir the paint and keep stirring until the mixture runs smooth and is easy to apply.
6. Use quality brushes
Budget paintbrushes might be cheaper but that reduction in price comes at a cost. Start painting with a cheap brush and it won’t be too long until you notice a loose bristle mixed within your freshly applied paint which needs to be removed. This happens frequently with low cost brushes. To achieve professional results invest in a high-grade brush that leaves flawless results.
7. Take your time!
Rushing a DIY painting project is a bad idea. This is only going to end one way. Think splashes, drips and missed areas of paint, all because you have set a crazy completion time. Take your time when painting. Apply even strokes on wooden areas such as doors and skirting boards and carefully roller walls whilst minimising the amount of spray-back. There’s no rush and when you take your time the end results are more professional.
Use these painting tips the next time you give your home a makeover. And don’t hesitate to contact us at PH Blinds if you need a new set of curtains.