These painted desert arizona will make your next paint job a smashing success, whether you're painting all your walls or just one.
Humidity means drips and slow drying, so avoid painting on a rainy day. If you must paint when it's humid, take your time — and take advantage of slow-drying paint to correct your errors before moving on to the next coat. But don't overwork or it will show when you're finished.
Any cracked, flaking or peeling areas need to be lightly sanded or scraped (and then thoroughly rinsed) before applying new primer and paint because the weight of the new coat will pull the old paint loose. "You'll just end up wasting your time and money if you don't tackle that first," says Tom Lee, Senior VP of Consumer Marketing for Behr. Greasy spots may also need a bit of washing with soap, followed by a rinse with clean water. Otherwise, wipe down with a damp cloth so that paint will have a clean, dust-free surface to stick to.
If you're splurging on great paint, you definitely don't want to pinch pennies on the application. Good brushes and roller covers give excellent coverage so that you don't waste time and paint on re-application, and high-end painter's tape is the real deal when it comes to sealing out drips and blurs.
The more texture your walls have, the thicker the nap you'll want on your roller cover so it can reach into crevices and give complete coverage. For example, you'll want to go with a thick nap if you're painting concrete walls. But for drywall, a thin nap is preferred. If you go with a nap that's too thick, you might actually create texture where you don't want it, so be prepared to give the salesperson details about what you're painting when you're buying your painting supplies.
You will never regret the time you spend covering floors, furniture and hardware before you begin a paint project. Drop cloths are a must and small plastic sandwich bags secured with tape are an easy way to protect doorknobs.
Get the paint salesperson to help you with a realistic estimate of how much paint you'll really need so that you can buy it all at once. Then, instead of using one gallon at a time, combine all the paint into one large container and mix it thoroughly. This is known as "boxing" your paint, and it keeps your color consistent from beginning to end.