Jul 19, 2021

During this pandemic, you may already have grown bored in your home and even resort to idly looking at your walls for long. You might even be in desperate need of a new color scheme for your walls. Painting the perfect wall is one of the cheapest ways to transform your home and make any room in your house look better. Home decor would just be incomplete without it. It’s a very basic task that even YOU can perform and turn into a hobby. Prior to starting, it’s practical to learn about a few essential tips from AllHome that can save you time and effort. Don’t worry! This article is as simple as painting for dummies!

Create a plan of action

Before you start, you should get a clear vision of what you want your walls to look like because as some people say, “failing to plan is planning to fail.” You can get some inspiration on the internet such as the Home Buddies group in Facebook, Pinterest or your trusty Google.

Prepare your tools and supplies

The second step is to gather all the different tools you need depending on the paint selected and the condition of the walls. These are some must-have items which you can find stored at your house or an AllHome store near you:

• Paint – Choose your paint color that suits your theme best. AllHome offers a variety of latex paints, such as Coatsaver Gloss Latex Paint CS-525-4 White,  or acrylic paints like Rain or Shine Classic Semi-gloss ROS-CL-103 Hard Rock. Depending on the size of your room, it’s better to buy a large bucket or two to prevent a shortage of paint. Keep in mind that a gallon of paint is equivalent to 400 square feet.
• Putty or skim coat – A putty or skim coat is required if you have cracks, holes or ridges on your wall. A putty is applied if you’ll be repainting your wall, while a skim coat is used if you’ll be painting straight from the cement wall. AllHome recommends the water-based Boysen BS 7311 Masonry Putty and Zemcoat Skimcoat Super Fine for ultra-thin coverage.
• Primer – A primer, like Boysen BS 1705 Acrytex Primer from AllHome, is highly suggested before applying paint since it helps the paint adhere to the surface and it protects the wall so the paint won’t soak through.
• Paintbrushes and paint roller – Paint rollers are used for painting large flat surfaces rapidly and efficiently. If you already have an existing roller frame, you can buy a Stanley Roller Refill at AllHome before painting. While paint brushes are used for precision when painting corners of your area. For a good quality brush with a long life and great coverage, AllHome has Stanley AllMaster 3” Paint Brush.
• Paint tray – Aside from dipping a brush into your paint can, a paint tray is needed when using a paint roller for a more easy application.
• Old cloth, newspapers, and painter’s tape – They protect furniture, appliances, and other areas to prevent paint stains.
• Sandpaper – Smoothing walls before painting is necessary for surfaces previously painted with a gloss or high-gloss paint.
• Putty Knife – A putty knife scrapes excess paint, removes the loose flakes or particles on the walls, and makes the whole surface free from dust, dirt and grease.

Cover the furnitures and appliances

Of course, you don’t want your stuff to be stained with paint! That’s why you need to make sure that your furniture, appliances, and other belongings are well-covered with cloth or newspaper. For windows, glasses, outlets, light switches and room corners, use a masking tape or painter’s tape to cover them. If storage space is an issue, you can simply find a place to store your furniture or just scoot these items away from the wall you’ll be painting on.

Prep the walls

It’s important that walls are ready for the painting process. Remove paint bumps or ridges from your walls’ old paint by scraping them through the use of sandpaper and a putty knife.

Mix a wall putty or a skim coat with the amount depending on the area you need to cover. Use it along with the putty knife to cover the holes and cracks in your wall until they are completely concealed and the layers of your walls are even. Remember to wait for each layer to dry before applying another layer of putty or skim coat.

Afterwards, use the sandpaper again to smoothen out the walls. Brush or wipe off any dust or particle that stuck to your walls to avoid clumps when painting later.

Apply a coat of primer to your walls to make sure that your paint sticks well to the surface.

Paint the walls

Always work from top-down. If you are using more than 1 gallon, mix them in a bigger bucket to ensure an even color consistency.   Dip brush about ⅓ into the paint and tap it against the sides. Do not scrape it against the container. Hold your paint brush like a pencil and paint with smooth strokes on the edges and corners of your wall. If you find it difficult to reach high areas, use a ladder such as Jinmao Ladder Alum 6-Steps 113106.

To use the rollers you’ll need a roller grid if you’re using a paint bucket. For paint trays, you can use a liner for easier clean up. Dampen the roller with a wet rag. Dip just a little into the paint bucket or tray and roll a few times to even out the paint. It is recommended that you do not submerge roller into the paint bucket. To paint using a roller, start near the edge and roll it in a zigzag pattern. Go slowly to avoid splatter. Don’t squeeze the roller to get more paint, simply re-dip it. Turn the roller sideways to get close to the ceiling and baseboards. To remove buildup and runs, lightly roll down over the painted areas.

Paint one wall at a time for each. Applying two coats for the whole room. Wait at least 2 hours for the paint to dry. Store the excess materials

To store your paint and other materials, cover the paint bucket and place it in a cool and dry place. Wrap your paint brush and roller with plastic, and put them in the fridge if you’ll be using them the next day. If not, you can run your paint brush and paint roller under water if you’re using a latex paint, or use a paint thinner, like Centro Splash S-33 Paint Thinner, to remove the excess on your paint brush and paint roller if you’re using an oil-based paint.

Painting may seem like a messy process at first, but it’s now made easy with these few tips from AllHome. When all is good and done, give yourself a pat on the back for the fruits of your labor! It’s a D.I.Y. after all! You can read more at AllHome.com.ph or subscribe to our YouTube channel for a more in-depth painting tutorial regarding walls and ceilings.

For your D.I.Y and home improvement needs, visit an AllHome store near you or check out AllHome online. We offer DIY Hardware, Appliances, Construction Materials, Flooring, Furniture, Homewares, Linens, Sanitary ware, and more! You may also visit our website and enjoy the hassle-free experience of shopping online through AllHome.com.ph today! AllHome online shopping site offers fast delivery, cash delivery and easy payment terms. You may also follow us on our official Facebook page and Instagram account for more updates.