You’ve heard us say before that preparation is the key to a solid painting job. But what does that mean?

Here are some tips we put together for those of you who are thinking about painting a room yourself, so you can make sure everything is set up properly before you start painting so that the job turns out  looking fantastic.

1. Cover your furniture:

Take the time to cover your furniture, belongings, etc. with plastic. Cover everything with plastic sheeting and tape it down. You don’t want the paint to splatter all over your furniture!

2. Don’t use drop cloths:

Wait, that’s not what you expected, is it? But here is what we recommend: lay down builders paper instead of drop cloths. This is a mistake we see all the time, even with other professional painting companies. If paint spills on the drop cloth, and the drop cloth moves around (and it will!), then you’re just moving paint around everywhere! That gets messy fast. You’ll end up getting paint on your hardwood floors, someone will step in it, etc. Builders paper is not slippery and won’t move around like a drop cloth will.

3. Use the right tape:

There are two types of tape you can use when preparing your workspace: blue tape and yellow tape. Use the blue painter’s tape on delicate surfaces like windows, trim, woodwork. anything with a delicate finish. Use the yellow tape on rough areas like stone, brick, rough metals, anywhere where you have a hard-to-stick surface. Yellow tape works better on all those surfaces. When you use the right tape for the right surface you’ll get better adhesion, and won’t risk damage when you remove the tape. 

4. Protect your floors:

Don’t move heavy furniture on hardwood floors without using Ram Board. This will make the furniture easier to move, and it will also protect your floors. 

We hope this helps you get ready to paint your room! If you look through this list and think, “Wow, there’s no way I want to deal with all of this!” We will be more than happy to come in and paint one room, paint the whole house, whatever you want. We also give free estimates!

If you want to do it yourself, these tips will make the job much easier!