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Common Mistakes to Avoid in DIY Interior Painting

Planning a DIY interior painting project? Avoid the following common mistakes so that you achieve a quality, long-lasting finish.

DIY Interior Painting: Common Mistakes to Avoid

Not Doing the Prep Work

Preparing for interior painting is a lot of work. You’ll have to remove hanging objects, frames, or other items near the wall that will

be painted. You will also need to move or cover furniture on the job site to protect them from paint spills and splatters. Aside from that, you’ll need to prepare the surface you’re painting on. Surface preparation includes removing old paint, thoroughly cleaning the surface, and sanding it if necessary. Completing those tasks can be daunting and time-consuming, so you may be tempted to cut corners and proceed to paint application. However, skipping the prep work is one of the worst mistakes you can make in DIY interior painting, as this will result in a poor paint job.

Skipping the Primer

Applying a primer means you have to paint twice, which can be annoying, so some DIY-ers skip this step. But primer offers a good surface for the paint to adhere to, creating a beautiful, lasting finish. It also brings out the color of the paint you’ve selected. It makes bright yellows, reds, and greens more vivid, so you don’t have to apply multiple coats of paint.

Not Testing Paint

One of the common painting mistakes DIY-ers commit is not testing paint colors on their wall before buying. Once they have chosen a paint color, they purchase an entire can and call it a day. The result tends to look different from what they imagined.

It’s important to remember that many factors, such as lighting, influence the appearance of a paint color. Paint colors look good at stores because of bright artificial fluorescent lighting, but they may not appear as pretty under other light sources. That’s why paint swatches and samples are available to help you determine which colors suit your space best before you spend money on a can or gallon of paint you won’t be happy with.

Painting in Suboptimal Conditions

Painting in environments that are too humid, cold, or hot affects the quality of the paint job. Still, some DIY-ers aren’t aware of that. The ideal temperature and humidity level for interior painting varies depending on the paint formula. Generally, you can apply latex-based paint when the ambient and surface temperatures reach 50 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. For oil-based paint, it’s 40 to 80 degrees. The best humidity is 40% to 50%, although up to 80% is still acceptable.

Professional painters avoid exterior painting in the middle of summer and winter because of low or high humidity and temperatures. Fortunately, you can control your indoor temperature and humidity through HVAC systems and humidifiers, so you can tackle interior painting anytime.

Not Giving the Paint Enough Time to Dry

Patience is a virtue in painting. It is important to wait for the first coat of paint to dry completely before applying a second coat. Unfortunately, not everyone has the patience to watch paint dry for two to six hours. Thus, they rush the second coat application, which results in peeling paint, unsightly streaks, or uneven coloring.

Many other things should not be done when painting interior walls, floors, and other areas of your home. That’s why it’s important to do your research if you intend to handle the interior painting project yourself.

Afraid of Messing Up Your Interior Paint? Call the Pros!

Interior painting can be a rewarding DIY project, but no one said it would be easy. Don’t feel confident with your interior painting knowledge and skills? All Decked Out Services is always ready to lend a hand. By leaving the paint job to our pros, you need not worry about making costly interior painting mistakes. Our team also uses the best interior paint to guarantee a quality, lasting finish.

Book an appointment today, and we’ll give you 10% off on our professional interior painting services.