How to Paint Your Bedroom Like a Pro
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Owning a home requires that you continuously maintain your house. This requires hiring contractors and technicians to look at and fix the issues in your home. House upkeep is not cheap. However, you can save a lot of money by doing some of these projects yourself. Although electrical and plumbing require professional expertise, there are some things you can do on your own. One of the first projects a potential DIY’er takes on is painting a room. Learning this skill can save you some money in the long run. You can even help out some family and friends.
Create a Plan
Before you start painting, think about how you want the room to look. You may want to create contrast by painting an accent wall or selecting a finish that highlights the moldings. You also want to check to see if the ceiling could do with a refresher.
Decide on a Color
Think about the feel you want your bedroom to give. You can choose between warm and cool colors. It is important that you choose a shade that complements the furniture and art in your room. Now, you can select some samples.
There are some brands that will send you adhesive swatches to put on your wall as a way to get a better sense of the color. Be mindful of how the swatches look during various times of the day. Some companies allow you to upload a photo of your room to preview different wall colors on their website.
Select the Right Tools
Now that you have chosen your colors, there are a few tools you will need. Of course, you will need the paint you have chosen. You also need a paint roller, paint roller extension pole, paintbrushes, and paint tray. It is also important that you have drop cloths, rags, and painter’s tape. You are also going to need a putty knife and sandpaper.
Figure Out How Much Paint You Need
A general rule is that you need one gallon of paint for every 400 square feet. Although you may not need a precise number for your bedroom, you will need it for bigger projects. If you want a more precise number, Benjamin Moore has a calculator. The calculator allows you to input window and door measurements. It is also taking into account that you will use two coats of paint.
If you are going from a dark color to a light one, you will most likely need more paint. Dark colors, in general, require that you apply more coats of paint to the walls than light colors. You can decrease the number of coats you need for a saturated color by applying a gray-tinted primer first. It may be a good idea to buy a little extra paint, maybe 10% more, if the wall surface is highly textured.
Prep the Room
In order to protect your furniture from damage, you can remove them from the room. Another option is to move everything to the bedroom’s center. Use the drop cloth to cover the furniture. You can also use plastic sheeting. Use the drop cloth and plastic sheeting to cover the floors as well. Even if you are a careful and meticulous painter, paint does splatter.
Next, you want to apply the painter’s tape to the edges of the crown moldings, door, window casings, and corners of the walls. You can use the putty knife to seal it. Sealing the tape prevents paint from getting under it. Take off the outlet and light switch covers and add painter’s tape to the outlets so paint does not get in them. Learning how to fix drywall allows you to address any nicks that are present in the wall.
Continuously Mix the Paint
Stir the paint with the wooden paint stick. You will have to do this throughout the painting process. Failing to mix the paint can cause ingredients to separate. As a result, your walls may not be the color you wanted. If you are using multiple gallons of paint, pour them in one bucket and mix them to avoid a variation in color.
Figure Out Your Technique
Now that you have everything, organized, think about how you will paint. You can work your way from the top down. Maybe you want to paint the other walls first before painting the accent wall. You may not have to worry about getting paint from the adjoining walls on the accent wall if the accent wall will be a darker color. If you are going to paint a dark wall a lighter color, you will need to apply a coat of primer and two coats of the lighter color.
Use a brush to paint along the corners and moldings. If you are painting with someone, they can use the roller to paint the larger areas, avoiding where you are painting. Using a roller, you want to do long strokes in a W. If you touch the wall and it is dry, you can apply the second coat. Once the walls are dry, you can pain the trim. Take off the painter’s tape from the trim and apply it to the walls. Start with the trim that is close to the ceiling and work your way down to the baseboards.
Make Sure the Room Is Ventilated
Open the windows and turn on the fans so that the bedroom is ventilated. If the room is warm and the fans are blowing, the drying process will be faster. Do not choose a damp day to paint as it will slow down the drying process.
Time to Clean Up
Now that you are done painting and the paint is dry, you can remove the painter’s tape and remove the drop cloths from the furniture and floor. You only need to use soapy water to clean latex and water-based paints from the brushes. For oil-based paints, you will need mineral spirits. A painter’s brush is handy in cleaning and reshaping the bristles of the paintbrushes. If you would like to use the rollers at another date, you will need the edge of a 5-in-1 tool to get rid of excess paint as you are running water over the roller.
The Wrap Up
Painting your bedroom is a project that requires time and effort. You will have to think about what colors would best match the aesthetic of your room. You also have to make sure you have the proper tools and right amount of paint. It is also important that you protect your furniture and floors from paint. Mixing the paint and figuring out your technique for painting are important. Ventilating the room and cleaning up once you are done painting are also necessary steps. Do these things, and you will be painting like a pro in no time.
