Doing Your Own painting

In these days of rising costs, many are looking for ways to save money. There is no real saving in neglecting maintenance and letting your property degrade. You can save money by doing some of the work yourself. For example, have you thought about creating your own table? It is not difficult. In addition, doing things with your own hands is very satisfying, especially when the results are good.

Let's say you want to paint the rooms in your house. What do you need? Painting, of course; also a roller and washer and a good paintbrush about 5 cm wide (recommended for DIY enthusiasts). You will also need canvas to cover furniture and areas that will not be painted. Old leaves will be fine.

Painting rooms are basically the application of paint to the walls. Of course, colors have an emotional impact and practical value. Red and orange are bright colors, but they also tend to be tense, which is why they should be used sparingly. Yellow, which indicates sunlight, is happy. Light green is reminiscent of nature; it's relaxing and peaceful. Blue is relaxing and fresh; reminds of the clear blue sky and the water of rivers and lakes. Light colors make a room appear larger, but darker tones make it appear smaller. It is good to consider these factors. Of course, when choosing the colors for a simple room, you can also consider the colors of the curtains, upholstery and carpets.

Once you've decided on your colors, what kind of color should you use? While there are many different types, there are only two that will interest most home improvement enthusiasts: oil or alkyd (synthetic resin) wall paint and water-based latex wall paint. . . Although it is called "latex" it has no gum, it is just a milky white emulsion. Latex wall paint has a lot to recommend for interior decoration. It's easier to apply, easier to clean later, and generally much cheaper than alkyd paints.

Latex wall paint is perfect for living rooms, dining rooms and bedrooms. In recent years, manufacturers have also developed a semi-gloss latex paint that replaces alkyd or semi-gloss oil paint. Semi-gloss paint is preferred for kitchens, bathrooms, window sills and window frames. resists more friction.

How many colors do you need About a gallon for every 400-500 square feet you want to coat.

Protect all unpainted surfaces with rags or newspapers before painting. In addition, furniture can be convenient to remove or move to the center of the room so that all walls are accessible.

Now check the surface to be painted. If it's dry, smooth but not shiny, has no cracks or holes, has no loose paint, dust, dirt, oil, or grease, you're ready to go. But what should you do if there are flaws? Is there any loose ink? Scratch. Therefore, all these areas, along with holes and cracks, should be smoothed out with a putty-like preparation called "spackle". (Buy premixed.) Since spackle usually shrinks when dry, you may need to apply a second coat in some areas. When they're dry, sand them down until they're even and apply a primer to these areas so they aren't visible when you paint them. Is the surface shiny? You will therefore need to sand before painting. Make sure the wall is free of dust, dirt, oil, grease, and soap before you start painting.

A 7-inch, or preferably 9-inch roller with a cage-shaped roller frame and roller washer is required to apply paint. The roll must have a core of strong materials, such as phenolic fiber, not just cardboard. The cover on the roll or blanket must be made of high-quality material, such as nylon or Lonel or Dynel sheep wool. The duration of the nap depends on the desired effect. A three-eighths inch nap can be good for a medium wall, an inch nap for a very smooth surface and a half inch nap for a very rough surface. (The longer the hair, the more ink the roller can hold.) Use the brush to paint the corners and other parts of the room that require special attention before or after applying the roller.

Start by rolling the roller on the ink tray until it is evenly covered with ink, and then remove excess ink by rolling the roller on the tray. Paint the room from top to bottom and start with the ceiling. To minimize sagging when painting walls, shoot up first. Start with a finished area and work on it. so it does not become very obvious where they overlap. For best results, avoid applying too much ink to the roll and avoid spreading it for too long to remove ink stains.

You can make your job much easier by using a four to six foot handle on the shelf for much of your painting. With this loop you can knit a roll with both hands. You do not need a ladder to paint the ceiling or the top of the walls, and you do not have to bend to paint the floor.

After finishing large areas, paint door frames, window frames and frames with a brush. Make sure the brush is synthetic if you use latex paint. A natural brush is perfect for alkyd or oil paint, but when used with latex paint it loses its shape because the brush absorbs water.

You can apply two coats. For example, if you use a light color over a dark color, you need two coats to prevent the dark color from appearing. If the surface is new, whether it is wood, plaster or plaster, a suitable first coat of primer and surface treatment may be needed. In some cases, both hands are used.

What should you do when you are ready to paint that day? We recommend that you remove all ink stains before they become too dry. Also clean the roller and brush. After painting with latex, wash the roller well and brush with soap and water. But if you painted with oil or alkyd paint, you must clean the roller and brush it with a thinner, e.g. turpentine.

Be careful in your work. If you are not in a hurry, you should be able to do presentable work. And not just cost savings, but above all, you have the pleasure of showing something beautiful and sustainable for your projects. Because, as I said, the painting is about "the hand, the mind and the heart".