Good To Know: Painting 101

May 8, 2020 W Design Collective

At this point, most of the country has been stuck inside for the better part of two months. While everyone has been at home, there has actually been an uptick in DIY projects that are getting done. People are gardening, renovating, and most of all, painting. We have been getting a lot of questions about painting, so today for Good to Know, we’re talking all things paint. We have some great painting tips, a guide for sheens, as well as our absolute favorite, no-fail paint colors.

FIRST, LET’S TALK THROUGH SOME OF OUR FAVORITE PAINTING TIPS:

It’s crucial to never let your paint dry. Even if you close it tight, a half-empty can will still end up drying out. In order to combat this, drop golf balls in to help fill the air space. You can also place plastic wrap under the lid before sealing, and then store the paint upside down.
Drill holes in your paint stirrer before stirring. This helps mix the paint more evenly as the holes help the paint flow through the stirrer, acting as a whisk.
Before you start, make sure to sand away any flaws so that you can work with a perfectly smooth surface.
Nice paint supplies will yield a nicer result. If you buy a $3 paintbrush, it will paint unevenly and the bristles will be more likely to come out in the wet paint.
Wash your roller covers with water and a little bit of liquid soap before you use them in order to remove fuzz. This will ensure that the fuzz won’t come off in the wet paint.
Make sure that you’re using the right primer. If you’re working with new drywall, use a water-based primer to provide an even base for your color and to hide imperfections. If you are painting paneling, or anything that has been damaged by water or smoke, use an oil-based primer.
If you’ve just moved into a house, and you’re not sure what kind of paint is on the walls, soak a cotton ball in rubbing alcohol and rub it on the wall. If the cotton ball has paint residue on it, the paint is latex-based. If the cotton ball does not have alcohol, the paint is oil-based, so you will need an oil-based primer.
If you’re worried about covering up existing paint, opt for a tinted primer instead of a plain one. This will do a better job of covering the layers underneath.
Always keep a wet edge. It’s imperative that you avoid lap marks as you’re painting. The best way to do this is to not roll new paint over paint that’s already started to dry. Paint the full height of the wall, and then move over slightly so that you can overlap each stroke onto the next. To help eliminate lap and brush marks, mix in a paint extender like Floetrol. This slows down the drying time, so you can keep a wet edge for longer, and also levels out the paint, so brushstrokes are less visible.
Use the box method for a more consistent color. Even colors that are the same can vary between cans, so to ensure color consistency, mix multiple cans of paint in a five gallon bucket prior to painting.
For a more seamless look, paint one whole wall before moving onto the next one. This will allow the rolled strokes and the brush strokes to blend more evenly.
Set up a work light so you can make sure you don’t miss any spots.
If your painters tape is old, it can be difficult to get off the roll without tearing or sticking. If this happens, throw the roll in the microwave for ten seconds.
Once you’ve put painter’s tape down on your edges, press down on it with a putty knife to achieve a stronger seal.
The length of the roller that you choose helps determine the texture of your paint. If you want more texture, pick a roller that has a longer, 3/4” nap. This holds more paint than a smaller roller. The nap is the fabric that covers the roller and a longer nap creates more stippling on the wall due to the way that the fibers distribute the paint. If you want a smoother finish, choose a nap that is shorter, between 1/4” and 1/2”.
If you’re using latex paint, there’s no need to wash your brushes and rollers between uses. If you don’t finish your project in one day, just wrap your supplies in tin foil or plastic bags and stick them in the fridge. Cold temperature keeps latex paint from drying quickly, so it’s fine to leave it overnight. Just make sure to let everything warm back up before you use them again.
Buy a paint pen that you can load with a small amount of your paint color for small touchups. These pens keep the paint fresh for about a year, and can help you stay on top of nicks and scratches. Just make sure to shake well before use.

W Design Collective / Valley View Project (Paint Color - Farrow & Ball Schoolhouse White)

Above all, the most important painting tip that we have for you is to stay organized. Whether you’re painting one room or your whole house, doing a DIY or hiring a professional, the specifics of what you need for each space can easily get lost. Put the effort in ahead of time to organize some kind of document to help keep everyone involved on the same page. Below is a screenshot from the painting document for our Valley View project (Marianne’s Build). Here, we have specified each space that will be painted, the paint color, and the sheen that will be used. Although they are empty here, we also have spaces in case we need to add further instructions. For example, if you’d only like to paint above a chair rail, those specifications would be in the “Application” section. If someone other than you is in charge of ordering the paint, you can also add that information. Of course, you can add or subtract columns per your own needs, but we highly recommend something of this nature to help stay organized. Also, we previously shared all of the paints for my home in a separate blog post. If you missed those, you can go back and check them out here.

One of the biggest questions that we get asked about is sheens and where to use them. The sheen of a paint refers to how much shine a paint has, but also how durable it will be. The higher the shine, the more durable it will be. Flat has no shine, and is the least durable, and high gloss is all shine. With sheens, we like to keep things fairly simple. For ceilings, you definitely want to be using Flat, for trim and doors, plan on using Semi Gloss, and for most walls, we tend to prefer Eggshell. If you’re worried about the moisture in a bathroom or in your kitchen, use Semi Gloss.

Now that we have the basics covered, we wanted to share with you some of our absolute favorite paint colors. Every color here is very neutral, and they are all incredibly versatile. We refer to these as our no-fail paints and any of these could work well for your project, no matter the space!