Painting is something people often outsource, but with the right preparation and attention to detail, redecorating can be achieved without paying for the professionals. When it comes time to paint, it’s important to lay the groundwork by prepping and cleaning the walls, and gathering the right tools. Here are eight common painting mistakes you need to avoid.

1) Failing To Prep

Once you’ve selected the perfect tones to paint your walls, it’s natural to be eager to get to work. Redecorating brings a room back to life and it’s exciting to begin the transformation. However, it’s important to lay the groundwork for a good paint job by prepping the walls you intend to paint.

To get a smooth and consistent coating, pick off any flakey paint that remains on your walls. Stripping wallpaper back is a good idea because, although it’s tempting to paint over, it can peel in the future leaving you with a job to do. And remember, paint may not stick to glossy surfaces, so you may need to take a sanding block to your walls to prep them for the perfect coat.

2) Painting Dirty Walls

“You may think that painting over dirty walls should disguise the imperfections but cleaning your walls is about preparing the canvas for your redecorating,” says Jonathan Dyer, a journalist at PhD Writers and Paper Fellows. “Dirt on your walls can mix with the paint, leaving an uneven surface scattered with blemishes. Paint sticks best to clean surfaces, so scrub your walls before you apply your first coat.”

3) Forgetting To Tape

Masking tape is one of the most important tools in a painter’s arsenal. Before you apply a lick of paint to the wall, taking masking tape to every edge you need to defend from splatter is essential. Door frames and light fittings can be taped around, meaning you can paint up to the edges and come away with clean lines.

Tape can also help you to create extraordinary geometric patterns across your walls – a zig zag of tape running through your wall can break up the color and space. Get creative with tape!

4) Leaving The Ceiling To Last

Painting the ceiling is the worst job – hours up a ladder getting a crick in your neck is inevitable. However, tackling this job first will help you to get a clean paint job in your room. When you paint the ceiling, gravity takes paint dripping down the wall. Since most people paint the ceiling white and the walls of a room a different shade, a dripping ceiling is going to spoil your perfect paint job.

5) Painting On A Wet Surface

So you’ve cleaned the walls and you’re impatient to get started painting! This is understandable as you’re ready to transform your room, but paint won’t adhere to a wet surface so you’ll have to wait. Patience is a virtue when it comes to painting: applying a wet coat of paint to a wet wall will lead to a smeary, inconsistent coating.

The same rule applies when applying second and third coats of paint – leave your paint ample time to dry before returning to apply another layer.

6) Hiding Problems With Paint

“A fresh paint job might give your room a new feel, but it isn’t a solution to structural problems in your home,” says James Jain, a writer at Essay Writer and OXEssays. “Painting over rotten wood, for example, might put an issue out of sight and out of mind but you’re creating a problem in the long run.”

Don’t use paint as a quick fix – instead, when you’re planning on redecorating a room use it as an opportunity to fix physical imperfections before you add the aesthetic touch.

8) Having The Wrong Tools On Hand

You shouldn’t paint with broad brushes, so the saying goes. There’s a time and a place for every tool in painting, so before you start your paint job make sure you have plenty of options of paint brush size and roller. Choosing the wrong tool for the job will leave you making clumsy strokes. Use a roller to get a first, even coating across your walls then turn to more delicate brushes with finer hairs, enabling you to make the perfect finishing touches.

Redecorating provides a fantastic opportunity to give your house a makeover, re-energising your living space. Avoid these common painting mistakes for a clean finish.