The ten most common painting mistakes are choosing the wrong colour, leaving the lid off the tin, cracked or peeling paint, getting paint where it should not be, overlap marks, using the wrong paint, using the wrong tools, the old colour showing through, not keeping paint for touch ups and letting brushes go stiff. Each one is easy to avoid.
Painting and decorating your home or business can be one of the best and easiest ways to revitalise it, give it a fresh new look and make it much more welcoming to you and your guests.
Many people choose to do their interior and exterior painting themselves, either to save money, because they want a project to work on, or because they feel they can “make it their own”.
However, there are many common mistakes people make when they take the DIY approach. Fortunately, there are easy ways to avoid them, so before you pick up that paintbrush, read this list of the 10 most common interior and exterior painting mistakes.
Mistake 1: Choosing the Wrong Colour
You can avoid choosing the wrong colour by trying a sample on the wall first. Look at it during the day and at night to see how it looks in natural and artificial light. If you do not like it, you can easily try a different sample.
Whether you are hiring a painter and decorator or doing the work yourself, it is easy to choose the wrong colour.
It can be incredibly frustrating to finish a day of painting only to realise the shade you have chosen just does not suit the room. At that point, you either have to live with the mistake or start again, and you do not want to do either.
Mistake 2: Leaving the Lid Off the Tin
You can avoid this by simply putting the lid back on whenever you have finished pouring some out.
Most first-time painters forget to put the lid back on the tin once they start painting.
Apart from the risk of spilling paint everywhere, leaving the lid off means dust and dirt can fall in and get mixed in, and the paint can start to dry out.
Mistake 3: Cracked, Blistered & Peeling Paint
You can avoid this by giving surfaces time to dry before you begin painting, and by dealing with any damp first.
Outdoor painting can throw up problems you are less likely to have indoors. One of the biggest is that surfaces may be wet or damp, because of the weather or because you have had to wash them first.
Professional painters and decorators go to great lengths to make sure the surfaces they paint are dry. If they are not, the paint is likely to blister, peel or crack once it dries.
The same can happen indoors, either because you have washed the surfaces or because the property is damp.
Mistake 4: Getting Paint Where It Is Not Supposed to Be
You can avoid getting paint where it is not supposed to be by doing the same. For example, if you are painting a wall, apply masking tape to the ceiling edge and the skirting boards to keep them clean.
If you are not an experienced painter, you are almost guaranteed to get paint where it is not supposed to be. Some might flick onto the floor, or you might go a little too far with the roller or brush. Wherever it ends up, it means more work cleaning up the mess.
Professional decorators carefully cover the surfaces they do not want to paint, using tape and dust sheets. This makes sure the paint only goes where they want it.
Mistake 5: Overlap Marks
You can avoid overlap marks yourself by working in small squares of a metre or two, keeping the edges of each square wet until you reach the next one.
When painting with a roller, you can end up with overlap marks if you are not quick enough. Professional painters and decorators “keep a wet edge” whenever they use a roller.
This stops lines forming as the paint dries and gives a solid, even finish.
Mistake 6: Using the Wrong Paint
You can avoid using the wrong paint by asking an expert, checking the manufacturer’s guidance, or employing a decorator to do it for you.
If you are not an experienced painter, you may not know your gloss from your emulsion. But mixing up the different types of paint can cause all kinds of problems.
Gloss is usually used for woodwork such as window sills and door frames, while emulsion is used for walls and ceilings. There are many sub-categories too, as well as specialist paints for humid rooms, floors and radiators.
Mistake 7: Using the Wrong Tools
You can avoid using the wrong tools by reading the instructions on the tin, or by using a professional decorator who will know instinctively what is best.
Just as there are certain paints for certain surfaces, sometimes you will want a brush and other times a roller. Using the right tool gives you the right coverage and the right finish.
Mistake 8: The Old Colour Showing Through
You can avoid this by applying a primer or stain block first, or by applying more than one coat. Just make sure the first coat is dry before applying the second.
If you are applying a light colour over a dark surface, the old colour is likely to show through. You can have the same problem with stains on the wall that will not wash off.
Mistake 9: Not Keeping Paint for Touch-Ups
You can avoid this by keeping a small amount after you have finished and making sure the lid is completely sealed. If you employ a decorator, ask them to leave you some, along with a note of the colour and finish.
No matter how careful you are, the paintwork will get damaged at some point. It could be a spilt drink, a ladder resting against it, or a knock from something hard. You can fix this with a “touch-up”.
If you do not keep some leftover paint, though, you will have nothing to touch up with and may need to repaint the whole room.
Mistake 10: Brushes Gone Stiff
You can avoid this by washing water-based paint out with plenty of clean water and a little soap, and repeating until no paint is left. Oil-based paints need white spirit or a brush cleaner.
After a long day of painting, you want nothing more than to put your feet up and admire your handiwork. But if you do not clean your brushes and rollers thoroughly, the paint will dry and make them useless the next time you need them.
Want to Avoid the Hassle?
You can avoid all of these mistakes by having professionals do the work for you. Yasmeen Property Services offers painting and decorating across London for homes, offices and commercial spaces, as part of a refurbishment or as a package on its own. See the decoration between tenancies at Sheringham in St John’s Wood, or request a free site visit and quotation below.
