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5 Painting Shortcuts You Should Never Take

July 7th, 2019 | 2 min read

By Bill Carlson

Hiring a painting contractor in Omaha, NE is the most reliable way of having your home’s interior painted or kitchen cabinets refinished. The pros have the tools, skills, and experience required to finish the project in time without shortcuts or compromise in quality and durability.

At Brush & Roll Painting, for instance, we have decades of interior painting experience, and we regularly train our painting crew on the latest painting technology and best practices. Additionally, we only use high-quality paint products from reputable companies such as Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore.

However, if you would like to try the DIY painting challenge, it’s important to keep in mind some of the most common painting mistakes we want to help you avoid. Have a look:

1. Not Cleaning the Paint Surface

This is a common mistake with many DIY painters and homeowners. If you’re repainting kitchen cabinets, for instance, you need to keep in mind that they often have a greasy layer of dirt that might interfere with paint adhesion. No matter how clean or neat the surface might look, always start by washing with soapy water or mineral spirits, then rinse with plenty of plain water.

2. Picking Cheap Paint Products

Sure, every homeowner wishes to save some money when it comes to interior painting or cabinet repaint. However, opting for cheap painting products only results in a poor quality paint job and reduced durability. It’s even worse when combined with DIY painting. You might save a few dollars at the moment, but a few months down the line, your paint might start peeling, fading, and chalking, leading to costly touch-ups.

3. Skimping on Surface Prep Work

Most effort and time go to surface preparation, whether you’re refinishing furniture, staining kitchen cabinets or repainting your living room. There is a very good reason for that – it determines the final quality, as well as the painting experience and durability of your paint job. All the loose old paint, dirt, dust, mildew and any other particles need to be removed before painting. You might have to strip the paint, sand, and refill missing caulk depending on the condition of your paint surface.

4. Skipping the Primer

Many DIY painters tend to make this mistake. The reason is often that they will save time and the extra money needed to purchase the primer. Well, that’s true, however, you run the risk of old paint and stains bleeding through your new coat of paint, and your paint failing prematurely. The primer improves paint adhesion and blocks any prior dark paint colors from showing through your new paint. In addition, you get better paint coverage and increased durability.

5. Trying to Cover it in One Coat

Depending on the surface condition, type of substrate and the scale of the project, painting can be quite tiring, to say the least – especially if you have to clean the surface, strip the paint, sand, and caulk. For this reason, many DIY painters often try to cover the surface in only one coat of paint.
Covering your surface in one coat will most likely result in a transparent and unflattering finish. So try to use at least two coats for the best results that will stand the test of time.

The Bottom Line

DIY painting can be quite fulfilling and even fun if you have some painting experience and the right tools. There’re many more painting mistakes that you can possibly make while painting your home’s interior, furniture or kitchen cabinets. However, if you can avoid the above five, you will be on your way to achieving pretty impressive results.

If DIY painting is not your cup of tea, you should consider hiring professional painters in Omaha, NE, like Brush & Roll Painting. To get started, simply book a free estimate below or give us a call 402-932-9764 for more details.

Bill Carlson

Bill is the owner and operator of Brush & Roll Painting.