5 Paint Hacks you need to know
I’ve gathered some knowledge over the last eight and a half years of painting. Most of the things I’ve learned are from mistakes I’ve made or things I’ve tried/learned that made the job easier. This blog is all about sharing those tips with you, so enjoy!
De-lint your roller: Have you ever gotten those annoying little hairs in your paint? They look like beard or nose hairs and you never seem to notice them until the paint is dry. Then you think you can sand them out, but surprise….that’s not happening. The easiest way to avoid this is to de-lint your roller. My favorite way to do this is to anchor some tape under the toe of my shoe and pull about a three to four foot piece. Run your roller up and down the tape (like you would be painting a wall) and watch all the fuzz that comes off. To get the strays, run some water over the roller cover and they will wash away.
Tape and paper over doorknobs: Have you ever noticed the little specks of paint or even a drip on your door knobs? When you use a roller, it can send paint raining down like snow on a January morning in Aspen. The next thing you know, you find yourself with a wet rag trying to get all the sprinkles off. Next time you paint, take a piece of 9” brown paper and tape it over the door knob or handle. Then you can paint as fast as you like without worry about messing up the door knobs.
Strain the paint: You can buy a strainer for a couple of dollars at your paint store. Paint tends to sit in a warehouse, sometimes for several months. The temperature changes will cause the paint to gum up and create little boogers of coagulated paint. If you simply pour the paint and start painting, you will smear those boogers all over the wall. The strainer liquifies these boogers and gives you a smooth finish. You’ll be far less frustrated with the entire painting process if you strain the paint.
Use a ½” roller cover: Before I started painting, I used a ⅜” cover. That’s what I used because that’s all I knew. A ½” cover holds more paint so you have to dip less. Also, by dipping less you will likely find better coverage for your paint. There are options for 9”, 14”, and 18”. We use 18”, but they can get pretty heavy. The easiest for a DIY person would be a 9”. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how much paint it will hold.
Use a 2.5” or 3” brush: We recommend these for the same reason, they hold way more paint. You will achieve a straighter line and less “grab marks” with less dips. It may be a little awkward at first, but once you get rocking, it will be totally worth it.
These are five simple paint hacks you can use around your house. They will save you time, money, and make the process much more enjoyable. Happy Painting!
