Taking on House Painting DIY

You’ve closed on your dream house, and it’s now yours to do with as you will. But even the perfect house for your family might need a fresh coat of paint. You can hire professional painters to do the job, but many homeowners opt to take on house painting themselves in order to save money on the cost of labor. Fortunately, house painting is a DIY project you can take on fairly easily. There are, of course, missteps that can be made, as well as tips that can make things a little easier.

Paint Before or After Moving In?

Some homeowners prefer to paint before they move in. This gives the paint time to dry and clears the overpowering smell from the house before your family actually starts to live there. However, some interior design professionals warn against this, as you want to be sure that your paint color goes with the colors of your furniture and home decor. If you know how you’re going to fill a room, you may be able to take pictures of your furniture and decor with you when picking out your paint color. This is a choice that has advantages and disadvantages on both sides, so it’s really up to you.

Paint On Dry Weather Days

Yes, this still applies when talking about interior house painting. On humid days, that humidity can get into your home and cause paint to drip or dry more slowly than you’d like. If you can’t get around painting on a humid day, you may want to use a dehumidifier to make sure that it affects your interior walls as little as possible. On the bright side, slow drying paint due to humidity will give you an opportunity to fix any mistakes you may have made or spots you may have missed. But ideally, a dry day is best for painting.

Take Your Time With Prep

Most people know that you can’t simply paint a new coat of paint over the old paint and consider the job done. First, you have to apply primer for a more neutral coat that won’t interfere with the new color you’ve chosen. But before you apply primer, you also have to prep the walls. Are there any spots with cracks or peeling paint? Sand the walls first to smooth out these areas, and rinse to clean it before applying primer. If you don’t take care of the issues with the current paint job first, those same peeling and cracking spots will appear on your new paint job. This is also a good time to start taping the boundaries of your wall so you know where not to paint.

Pour Paint Cans Into One Large Bucket

Even when you buy several cans of the same color, the vibrancy of that color might be a little different from can to can. Many homeowners start with one can of paint only to find when they open the next can and begin to paint that the color on their wall doesn’t quite match. You can get around this problem by pouring all the cans of paint you bought into a bucket — 5 gallons is usually a safe size — and mixing the content. From there, you can paint with a consistent color.

One of the best things about home ownership is that you have the ability to make the house your own, truly turning it into your dream home. But to find the right house in the first place, contact a College Station realtor today.