How to Paint a Room Professionally
In this video, Kevin O’Connor meets expert painter Mauro Henrique to discuss painting techniques. Mauro begins by showing Kevin how a professional painter holds a paintbrush. Then, Mauro rhythmpainters loads the brush with paint and shows Kevin how to properly paint a piece of baseboard. After purposely dabbing the wall with paint, Mauro shows Kevin how to wipe it up before discussing the merits of painter’s tape.
How to Hold a Paint Brush
To paint like a pro, you have to hold the brush like a pro. Lay the handle of the brush flat over the back of your thumb while holding the ferrule (the metal part that holds the bristles together) between your index and middle finger. The point of a slanted brush should be on the finger side, not the thumb side.
How Long Does It Take To Paint a Room?
Painters spend two to four days painting an average-sized room. That's how long it takes to prep, prime, and paint correctly. It's more work, but when you stand back to admire the results, you'll agree it's time well spent.
21 Tips for Painting Like a Pro
1. Clean Up Mistakes While They’re Wet
If an errant brushstroke should touch down on the wall, don’t worry—wet paint is pretty easy to clean. If you keep a damp cloth nearby, you can stretch the fabric over a finger and wipe the wet paint off the wall. Just be sure to wad the excess cloth up in your palm to prevent it from touching the wet baseboard.
2. Even Pros Use Painter’s Tape—Sometimes
There are times when even the pros use painter’s tape. When they’re painting against finished surfaces like flooring and woodwork, they’ll often stretch tape across the surface to protect it. However, when it comes to painting walls and trim, they typically forego the tape in lieu of their skills and steady hands.
Most of us can do an okay job of painting a room. But a seasoned professional does a great job. Obviously, pros have more experience than the average homeowner, but they also know techniques and tricks that make them better painters.
3. Remove Everything From the Room
To begin, move everything out of the room. Every painter we spoke with had a horror story about the time he didn't follow Rule No. 1. Bigger pieces of furniture can sometimes be left covered in the center of larger rooms, but if you are repairing drywall, says Chris Span, of Span's Quality Painting in Mobile, Alabama, "Take everything out. Drywall dust goes everywhere."
Remove doors, light fixtures, and hardware, and label everything with masking tape. Also, invest in drop cloths. "It's surprising how well a few drops of paint can cover a floor," says Rich Maceyunas, of Maceyunas Painting and Wallpaper in Waterbury, Connecticut. Buy high-quality drop cloths, such as canvas or paper-backed plastic. A note that, paint soaks right through lightweight fabrics and bedsheets. Plastic sheeting works, but it's very slippery and doesn't absorb drips.