How To Avoid Common Painting Mistakes
Painting is a lot easier (and so much more fun) when you know how to steer clear of these mistakes. They’re easy to make, but equally as easy to avoid! So, check out the list we’ve compiled and get to painting your seamless backdrop.
1. choosing the wrong color
Finishing up your project and realizing you chose the wrong paint color is a nightmare you can totally avoid. Make sure you try your color throughout the space you’ll be painting. Backdrop’s 12x12” adhesive swatches are easy to stick and re-stick, so you can move them around and don’t have to paint patches all over.
Extra tip: Try them in corners to really see the dimensionality of the color.
2. Not testing in all lights
It’s important to test your paint color in different areas of the room at different times of the day to make sure that you like the mood it’s creating. Paint can look REALLY different in different lights, so this is key to avoid a surprise when the sun goes down and you realize the color is not what you expected.
3. Not wiping down the baseboards
Quickly wiping the walls and baseboards before you paint can make a big difference. Any weird stuff left on your walls will get on your supplies as you paint and spread its way onto your wall. Taking a couple minutes to wipe down the surface will save you from permanently-stuck-to-your-wall hair and dust, and no one wants that.
4. Not using painter's tape
Taping ensures crisp lines. Just make sure you seal it tightly (we’re fans of using a putty knife to help get an extra-firm press down), a butter knife can also work. Painter’s tape should also be removed while paint is still wet.
5. using plastic drop cloths
Always use canvas drop cloths! Plastic drop cloths are slippery and stay wet too long — using them could result in an unexpected floor mural of footprints around the house. Unlike plastic, canvas isn’t slippery and it absorbs splatters, and it’s not plastic.
6. Being precious with the roller
A lot of DIY painters are too precious while using their roller. Make sure it’s saturated but not dripping, and you’ll have the right amount of paint to glide that roller smoothly. You should never have to muscle paint onto your wall.
7. this might be the biggest mistake people make
Buying low-quality supplies is probably the biggest mistake people make. Makeup artists will tell you that using high-quality brushes and tools are the trick to a seamless finish — same goes for paint! Don’t skimp on supplies.
8. wait, but also one more really big one
Did we mention paint? Kind of like the supplies situation, you need the highest-quality paint to get the highest quality results on your project.
