Successful Vacaville Interior Painting Tips

Re-painting the interior walls of your Vacaville home is a relatively inexpensive way to freshen up and update your living spaces. A fresh coat of paint allows you to make a room look larger (or smaller), brighter or cozier, and more updated. You can paint an entire room or just an accent wall to give the room some pizazz. Here are a few tips to help you paint like a pro.

Decide on Colors

You can start by visiting paint companies like Sherwin-Williams for inspiration. They have many online resources available to get ideas, play around with colors, and order paint color chips which they will mail to you. You can even utilizer their color visualizer where you can repaint a room with the color of your choice to see the full impact. I would still recommend that you purchase their sample pots to paint on your wall in several places to get the full impact of what the paint will look like in different light conditions.

Gather Your Supplies

Think through what you will need and do yourself a favor and only purchase high-end paint and the best brushes and rollers. Talk to the sales staff to get an idea of how much paint you need to purchase if you don't already know. They can calculate how many gallons your project will require. They are also helpful in recommending what type of finish you will want for each room. For instance, a kitchen, bathroom, and high traffic areas would be better painted in a washable type of paint such as semi-gloss.

Prep the Walls

The final outcome is only as good as the preparation. Before you begin painting, you must remove any dirt, grease, and dust by using a cleaner. Unclean walls will prevent the new paint from adhering to the wall. If you’re painting the kitchen, it’s best to use a degreasing cleaner. Use a spackling compound to fill holes or cracks in the wall, then sand it smooth. 

Mask off Areas Not to Be Painted

Especially around door and window frames and where the wall meets the ceiling unless of course the ceiling will be repainted as well with the same color. You may think that you have a steady hand but trust me, you will thank me later.

Remove Outlet Covers, Light Switch Cover Plates, and Drapery. 

It is much easier to remove them than to try to protect them with tape or paint around them. Just be sure that you keep screws and such with the appropriate item and save them clearly labeled as to where they are from. You would be surprised how easy it is to forget.

Make Sure You Have Plenty of Protective Covers

Move all the furniture out of the room if you can, or to the center of the room. Protect with plastic sheeting. Cover the floor and any carpeting with lined canvas drop cloths. Lined canvas is a better choice than plastic because it absorbs paint and protects the floor below and is less slippery than plastic tarps. To avoid having to move the canvas as you are painting it is good practice to cover the entire floor before you start.

Always Use Primer

A good quality primer helps hide blemishes and also helps the paint adhere to the wall. As a rule, use a white primer beneath lighter colors and a gray primer before painting the room in a darker color.

Painting the Walls

First, use a small brush to paint around the trim and edges. Then and only then can you use a paint roller to cover the walls. A good practice is to move the roller in a “W” shape to eliminate any roller marks. Allow the paint to dry completely before applying a second coat.

Finally, the Clean-Up

Do not attempt to remove any masking tape until the walls are completely dry. Also, take the utmost care when removing any tarps and drop cloths to avoid spilled paint to touch the floors or carpets and furnishings.

If you live in Vacaville, CA, or nearby, you could call Universal Painting Contractors, Inc. for an estimate just to cover all your options. As a professional Vacaville interior painting contractor we can get the job done fast and to your complete satisfaction.