3 Common Mistakes New Painters Make

We’ve all tried our hand at painting a wall. Some of us are good at it, while others struggle. Painting is not complicated, but it does take discipline, practice, and experience to become good at it. Today we will describe three common mistakes rookie painters make and how to avoid making them yourself.

Not Cleaning What You Are Painting

In modern construction, we use mostly latex-based paints. Latex paints are water-based, meaning they clean up with just water. In years past, most paints were enamels, meaning paint thinner or turpentine were needed for clean up.

Being water-based, latex paints will not stick nor mix with oils, grease, or any petroleum-based materials. Essentially any outdoor structure will be subject to gas fumes, burnt motor oil, or other airborne contaminants. If these are in high concentrations, the paint will have difficulty adhering to the surface, often resulting in additional coats.

The pros will usually pressure wash an area (assuming it’s outdoors) before painting and allow it to completely dry. These same professionals will also apply primer or sealer beforehand to help with the bonding process. If the surface is very dirty or deeply stained, many pros will sand the surface lightly, but only before applying the sealer.

Not Purchasing the Correct Paint For the Project

Paints come in all colors, textures, and consistencies, so make sure (and then check again) that you are purchasing the correct paint for the job. For example, it is easy for a new painter to accidentally purchase interior paint for an exterior project because it is less expensive. We may convince ourselves that paint is paint, so we use it anyway only to discover that it begins to chip very quickly.

This is because interior paints do not contain the same additives as exterior paint that reduce the damaging effects of moisture and UV radiation, which is why it is cheaper. If you should accidentally purchase interior paint, never use it outdoors. If the color was custom matched and non-returnable, consider using it as a base for a similarly colored wall paint.

When the time comes, you can use the paint as a base to fill in cracks or scuffs and cover it with the color you actually want. Just make sure the colors are close and that the older paint is the same or a lighter color than the final color. Don’t try this trick with deep colors like red, blue, or green however or you will probably need more paint.

Not Cleaning Your Tools

Professional painters all do one thing very well, which is to keep their tools in good condition. Expensive brushes do a better job than cheap ones, so the pros buy the best brushes they can find. Often these are made from animal hair or have sophisticated features. However, they will always allow the time to properly clean and store their brushes.

It’s a good idea to have a clean-up plan before you get started. Don’t use your last available ten minutes to finish the job, but rather spend that ten minutes cleaning your tools. The professionals have discovered that spending ten minutes at the end of the day cleaning will save them an hour the next day replacing their tools.