5 Painting Mistakes to Avoid

When giving your Brisbane property a paint makeover, there are a few common mistakes that can turn your dream project into a nightmare. Whether you're refreshing your Queenslander home or updating a modern apartment, avoiding these pitfalls is essential to achieving a professional finish. At Kraudelt Painting, we've put together a list of the top 5 painting mistakes to avoid, along with some helpful tips to ensure your project runs smoothly and successfully.

 

1. Lack of Preparation

Preparing your walls or exterior for a fresh coat of paint is an essential aspect of achieving a professional result. Without proper preparation, your paint finish may be lumpy, patchy or runny.

Interior Paint Preparation

Before painting your interior, it is essential to thoroughly clean your walls.

One effective and inexpensive way to clean your walls is to use sugar soap, a sponge, and a bucket of water. Vinegar and water works well too. Make sure to wipe down the walls with clean water after you have cleaned them to remove any residue that may interfere with paint adherence. Allow the surface of the walls to dry completely before painting.

Any flaking or peeling paint must be sanded in order to achieve a smooth result.

Learn more about interior paint preparation here.

Exterior Paint Preparation

Brisbane’s weather can take a toll on your home’s exterior. When preparing for an exterior paint job, you'll need to scrape off any flaking paint, repair cracks, remove mold, and sand down any blistering areas. Be sure the entire surface is clean and dry before you start painting.

Exterior preparation can be tricky, especially in Brisbane’s hot and humid climate. It might be easier—and more cost-effective—to leave it to the professionals at Kraudelt Painting.

Learn more about exterior paint preparation here.

2. Using the Wrong Equipment

The wrong equipment can leave you with a less than perfect finish. The right equipment really can make a world of difference.

The paintbrush or roller you need depends on the paint you choose. Latex paints require synthetic bristled paintbrushes and rollers. Oil-based paints require natural bristled paintbrushes. Price is also an indication of how effective the brush or roller will be. We recommend spending a bit extra for paintbrushes to ensure the best result possible.

3. Failure to Protect Your Floor and Furniture

Cover everything in plastic! Seriously. Paint can be incredibly difficult to remove from your furniture and floor, particularly oil-based paints. Be sure to tape the edges of your protective plastic or cloth.

If you do end up spilling paint onto your floor, there are ways to successfully remove it.

Find out about cleaning paint spills here.

4. Ignoring the Weather

If your allocated painting day turns out to be very humid, it’s wise to wait a day or two before getting started. Humidity can have a huge effect on water-based paint. High-levels of moisture in the air will cause paint to take much longer to dry, both inside and out.

 

5. Ineffectively Storing Leftover Paint

So, you have completed your paint job and it looks great. In a few months time, it’s likely you will see a few chips or scratches here and there, which you can touch up with leftover paint. That is, if it hasn’t dried up.

Using leftover paint can be frustrating if you’ve not stored it correctly. Storing paint tins upside down in a dry, cool environment can extend the life of your paint, so you can use it for touchups down the track.

Find out how to store and use leftover paint here.

Leave It to the Experts – Contact Kraudelt Painting for a Flawless Finish

If you'd rather leave the hard work to the experts, Kraudelt Painting is here to help! From interior touch-ups to full exterior makeovers, our Brisbane team will ensure a flawless finish.

Contact us today at 07 3829 5735 or send us an email to discuss your project.