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Seven Mistakes Made When Painting on your Own

June 21, 2016 | By: admin
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Painting Mistakes to Avoid

Qualified and experienced Interior house painters like the pros at Gallo Paint are expert on the application, condition, and care of the coatings (that’s the paint, primer, stain, etc.) on the surface of the interior and exteriors of our homes in Danbury, CT and surrounding areas. Not only do they spruce up and freshen the look of our homes, but they can spot trouble spots on a surface and correct them before the paint ever goes on the wall.

Seven mistakes made when painting

Painting is fun! But when undertaking a paint job on our own, as non-professionals, common pitfalls and rookie mistakes show up on our walls all the time. Perhaps you’ve inherited a space that needs a drastic rethinking, or when we ourselves are taking the look of our homes in bold new directions, we often approach painting projects with a lot of vision and enthusiasm but with no real knowledge about the art and craft of applying paint to walls.

  • Choosing the wrong color—almost everyone has done it. We get excited about trying out a daring new look for our homes by choosing a new paint color, we see a small paint chip in the store (usually under fluorescent light) that looks like a winner, but when you get it home and on your walls, it dries darker than you thought it would and it absorbs all the light and life in the room.
  • Not prepping you workspace—more than just prepping the surface to be painted; clear the room of clutter, obstacles, and pets or children. These hindrances can quickly cause disaster when open cans of paint are around.
  • Not cutting in—“cutting in” refers to the practice of painting the outline of a wall where it meets the ceiling or other surfaces not to be painted. Cutting in provides a buffer zone between the roller that you’ll use to paint the majority of the wall and those surfaces that are not getting painted. When a painter does not cut in with paint before rolling the paint on the wall, they risk bumping the ceiling with a paint-loaded roller.
  • Overbrushing—repeatedly smoothing the painted surface with the brush can cause brush strokes to dry in the paint, especially with latex paint. Don’t be tempted to massage the paint in. Once the surface is evenly covered, then move on. And remember: two thin coats are better than one thick coat.
  • Overspraying—stray paint droplets can find their way into the air and unto unintended surfaces when using a can of spray paint or a spray applicator. Taping and covering surfaces not to be painted is the best insurance against overspray.
  • Not priming—priming a surface for paint accomplishes two things. A primer will provide a more grippable surface for the paint to adhere to and ensure a longer lasting professional-looking paint job. Primers also seal the surface to be painted and cover up any stains, fading, or discoloration on the original surface. Primers, especially printed primers, can also reduce the amount of paint needed to cover a surface completely. That saves time, money, and effort.
  • Using the wrong paint—different formulations of paints and primers are made for different surfaces and applications. Using the wrong type of paint, or even using the right type of paint over an old surface with the wrong type of paint can scuttle any hopes for a professional looking job.

The professional interior house painters of Gallo Paint know how to prepare and prep a job before the paint goes on, how to apply the paint artfully and expertly, and to clean up the job site responsibly and effectively.

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We are very pleased with the results! Professional and punctual. Finished ahead of estimate too! Planning to hire again in the fall.

- Ann Kerr Greenfieldt

Al and his team were originally supposed to come in just to paint our apartment. We did not have a good experience with our original contractor and Al and his team came in and cleaned up the mess that our nightmare of a contractor left us with. Al's team was trustworthy, quick, clean, affordable and did a fantastic job with our project. We would recommend Al and his company to anyone! Thanks for saving the day!

- Mike zippo

The painters did an excellent job on both the interior and exterior of my house. In addition to patching and sanding the walls, they also gave my home a flawless color update. I would definitely recommend.

- Christopher Camarra

We recently had our basement renovated and hired Gallo Painting to do the entire space. The job was neat and professional and the price for all of the work done was fair. Al is a great problem solver who fabricated some small doors to cover an upgraded electrical panel. I was searching for similar doors online and they were several hundred dollars. His work is perfect and was much less. I can't wait to have them come back and do my upstairs!

- Thomas Mehnert

We have been using Gallo Paint and Wallpapering Company for the past 10 years! We recently moved into a new house and Al Gallo and his painters were still the best. They are master painters, as well as punctual, clean, neat, and very reliable. The crews work well together and are friendly and competent. I would highly recommend them for any work you need done!

- Lynn Aronson
westchester painting contractor