Painting Ideas in Interior Decoration
Contents
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Interior Painting »
Painting Tips »
Paint Techniques »
Rag Rolling Paint Technique »
Wall Preparation For Painting »
Decorative Wall Painting »
Painting Wood Panel »
Paint Rollers »
Cleaning Paint Brushes »
Glazing Furniture »
Painting Doors »
Exterior Painting »
Paint Sheen »
Special Paints
Painting Tips
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Sponge Painting Instruction
Paint is a very inexpensive and easy way to spruce up the interior of any room, very quickly but you must know the condition of the wall, how to paint and the amount of paint needed.
The choice of the paints: Paint is available in thousands of colors and a variety of different textures, sheens and coats. There are so many changing choices in the trend but one must be clear what the paint will look like.
- The shine determines the brightness the paint will exhibit on your walls or ceiling.
- The less the shine of the paint, the minimum is the glare or the reflection.
- The shine of the coat hides the small imperfection but are difficult to clean and maintain.
- Paints also come in mat finish which is easier to clean and reflection is not there.
- Semi gloss paint is the perfect paint for children's rooms, kitchens and bathrooms because of their durability.
- The enamels are used for painting wooden surfaces.
Making the walls ready for the paint: The condition of the walls determine the amount of colour needed and the finish. Here are some points to take care of:
- If the walls are never painted before, they will soak a large amount of paint if applied directly, thus a coat of primer should always be used as the base coat.
- It also gives you a smoother finish.
- If your walls have already been painted, use a paint scraper to remove any loose or chipped old paint.
- Fill any drywall holes with spackling compound too. Clean dirt off your painting surface.
- Hardware and paint stores carry stain blocking products you can spray or brush on.
- How to determine the quantity of the paint needed: The right amount of paint needed requires a skill and should be purchased carefully.
- To estimate your ceiling paint multiply the length of the ceiling times the width. This will give you the area.
LENGTH X WIDTH = AREA - Next, divide the area by 350 to determine how many gallons of paint you will need. Where did we come up with the number 350? Most gallons of paint will cover 350 square feet! To estimate the wall paint needed, add together the length of each wall then multiply the sum by the wall height.
LENGTH + WALL HEIGHT = AREA - You can even subtract 20 square feet for each door and 15 square feet for each window in the room. Divide the final figure by 350 as shown above to tell you the number of gallons to purchase.
House Painting Tips
The final result of painting your house depends on careful preparation. Most of your work must be done at the very beginning itself. Knowing how to select the right tools for the job, using the correct technique to paint and using the right strokes to paint all help in producing the right finish. Here are a few tips and tricks to get the perfect finish while painting your house.
- Buy the complete paint pad. The plastic packaging of the kits is used as the paint tray and as an airtight lid.
- Hold your tool properly. Put an empty tray on your hand with the right side up. Stick tape down one side of the tray, bring it lightly behind your palm and up to the other side of the tray. This will ensure that the tray stays in place while you are working.
- Use your preferred hand to use the painting tool. Hold the tool firmly and paint exactly in front of you at eye level. You will be able to see clearly what you are doing and have good control on the tool as well.
- Even while using painting pads with tracking wheel, tape off the wall or ceiling trim. As what happens often is, when you apply paint on to the pad, some of the paint may get on to the wheels and leave marks on the trim.
- Reload pad and often regularly this will prevent the pad from drying.
- Apply and spread paint on long strokes, this will give you control and reduce fatigue of muscles.
- When you take a break from painting, store the pad inside the tray and shut the lid to prevent the paint from drying.
- To evenly load paint on the paint pad pour only about 1/4th inch of paint on the tray. This will ensure that there is no overloading of paint or sinking of the pad into the paint or spilling of excess paint.
- Wriggle the pad to get the paint on to the bristles and foam. This movement will not only load the paint but lock it in as well.
- Gently move the pad across the edge of the tray to remove extra paint. Do not apply too much pressure as this might remove almost all the paint.
- Put the full pad on the surface firmly and move in one direction to deliver paint from the to the surface. The next stroke should be on the same area in the opposite direction to fix the paint and remove bristle marks. Paint briskly, working from bottom to top and from one side to the other.
Here are a few additional tips that you should follow from the time you begin painting till you finish the job.
- While buying brushes you can choose from natural and synthetic bristles. For latex paint use only synthetic bristles and for oil based paints you can use both. For painting walls buy brushes that are 3 to 4 inches wide and are flat. For intricate work like the mullion on a window use a sash brush that is angled and about 1-1/2 inch wide. For doors, windows and trim use brushes that are 3 inch wide and have a straight edge. If the brush has a narrow end then it will retain more paint than a flat-ended brush.
- While buying rollers follow the same rules as above; for latex paint use synthetic rollers and natural rollers for oil-based paints. When you buy a roller remember, that when the surface is rougher, the head of the roller should be longer. To find out how good the roller is, use your hand to squeeze the middle of the roller. It should regain its original shape as soon as you release your hand.
- Buy enough sticking tape. It is best to invest in some good quality masking tape or painter's tape. Though both these are a little costlier they are easy to remove. You will have to use tape to cover trims, windowpanes, doorknobs etc. Some tapes come with little paper attached to one side for greater protection. While removing the tape, to avoid pulling off the finish, use a hair dryer and blow hot air over the tape before lifting it off. The hot air will stop it from sticking to the finish.
- To prevent paint from dripping while painting, using a nail and a hammer, make a hole on the rim of the paint tin, after you have opened it. Doing this will allow the paint from the brush to run back into the tin, as you drag you brush across the rim of the tin to remove the extra paint from the brush. This prevents the extra paint from collecting on the rim of the tin and overflowing after some time.
- When you begin to paint a wall, begin from the edges and then fill in the middle section. Try not to start a new can of paint in the middle section of the wall. If there is the slightest variation in color it will be clearly visible in this section of the wall.
- To get an even coat of color, pour paint into a smaller can and take a piece of coat hanger wire and bend it across the small can. Fix the wire by twisting its ends across the rim of the can or across the handle. Use this wire to brush off extra paint, from your brush, every time you dip your brush into the can. Doing this will ensure that your brush is evenly coated with paint across the span of the brush. This will give the wall an even and smooth finish.
- Keep some old clean rags at hand to clean up any mess by dripping and spilling paint. Buy a set of use and throw foam brushes that you can use for touch ups.
- If you are applying a number of coats of paint, wait patiently till each coat has completely dried up before applying the next coat.
- If you are breaking for the day and will continue painting the next day, then wrap the wet brushes in plastic or aluminum foil and place it in the freezer. The next morning all you will have to do is remove it and start off from where you stopped last night.
- Soaking paint brushes in water or paint solvent for sometime makes it easier to clean. Make a hole in the metal clam of the brush and pass a nail through it. Now fill a small jar with water or solvent and hang the brush in it, by laying the nail across the mouth of the jar. Soak it for sometime and then wash thoroughly. Empty the jar and place the clean brush in it and this way the bristles of the brush will remain straight after they dry.
- When you use a roller and a tray, ensure that you use a tray liner so that you do not waste time cleaning the tray once the job is done. You can either buy a tray liner or use aluminum foil as liner and throw away once soiled.
- A newly painted wall, takes 30 days to cure, so do not wash the paint for about a month.