Painting is one of the tasks that many homeowners least look forward to. Do you find your plain white walls dull but loathe the idea of having to paint them?

Painting is an inexpensive way to improve the look of your home without much effort. Wall colors have a great impact on your mood and they greatly influence the interior design of your rooms.

Keeping these tips in mind will make your job much easier. After reading this, you might actually start to enjoy painting. 

Prepping a Room Does Make All the Difference

If you’re wondering how long it should take to paint a house, pay attention to prepping.

The painting will be much easier if there is nothing in your way. This implies emptying the room and removing obstacles as much as possible. Put all the large furniture at the center of the room you plan to paint and cover them up with drop cloths.

Another way to prepare your room is by wiping the walls down. This is a very important step before painting to allow the paint to adhere to the walls. Wiping down the wall involves removing the buildup of dirt, dust, and oils. 

Ensure you fill any nail holes with spackling, tape off adjacent walls, window trim, and outlet covers. The floor should be covered with drop cloths, newspapers and rolls of paper.

Testing the Paint Color

It is not easy to determine how a chosen paint will look on your walls and with your lighting. In case you have a color in mind, it is advisable to buy a paint sample first.

Give it time for the paint to dry, observing its color during both the daytime and nighttime. This will give you a true idea of what the color will look like on your walls.

In case you are not sure of the color, purchase several samples and apply them on your wall and observe. You might be surprised at how your favorite color will look in your walls. 

Painting a Room Allows Color into Your Life

While some people find color overwhelming, never allow the fear color to make you choose off white, white or beige. 

Try out different colors to create a specific feeling in the room. For instance, dark paints add depth and texture to space. If you have a very large room with high ceilings, consider applying dark colors. On the other hand, lighter colors are good for small rooms such as a guest bath with no natural light as they open up space and make the room feel larger.

Paint can be changed

While you can choose a color by painting a square on the wall and observing it under different lights, sometimes you may notice that the paint that appeared great in a small area is unattractive when painted on the whole wall. 

Luckily, paint is a less expensive option for making over a room and it is easy to change it. If you don't like the color, you can easily cover it by painting over it.

In some cases, if a color is too overwhelming in all the four walls, you might want to leave one wall with that color as the focus. 

Determining the Amount of Paint that You Need

Running out of the paint before completing the project can be so frustrating. On the other hand, you also do not want to be left with too much paint after you are done. 

To determine the right amount of paint you need to consider the square footage of your room as well as the number of coats of paint you want to do. For instance, you’ll need one coat if you’re priming the walls first, while two coats will be enough if the walls are not primed.

Priming Saves on Paint

Priming is a crucial step in the preparation process. By priming, you’re sealing the walls and achieving the perfect base for the paint to adhere to.

Priming prevents flashing or the presence of shiny sections on the wall which occurs when the paint is directly applied on spackling.

Priming does not, however, mean that you should skip cleaning the walls.

Brush Before Rolling

The idea of brushing the corners before/after rolling the walls is confusing for many. It is advisable to brush before rolling.

For all the areas, a roller cannot reach, use a high-quality brush to paint about an inch from corners, baseboards, and the ceiling. This will leave you with a smooth flat surface.