Painting 101: Great Tips for Taking on Your Home This Summer

By Stephanie Andre

RISMEDIA, July 15, 2010—The summer is a great time to take on outdoor projects--gardening, fencing, etc. But sometimes it’s also nice to get a break from the heat…step inside and think about refreshing those walls inside the home.

But do you know where to start? What to buy? How to actually paint?

Here are eight tips from Lowe’s on how to get started on a painting project:

1. Choose top-quality rollers and brushes for a great finish.
2. When using two or more cans of paint, mix them together in a separate bucket to ensure uniform color.
3. When painting along edges with a brush (“cutting in”), spread paint far enough from the edge for roller strokes to cover brush strokes. Do not cut in a whole room at once. Instead, do 3- or 4-ft. increments, and then roll.
4. Never stop painting in the middle of a wall for an extended period of time. End at a natural break to ensure uniform color and coating.
5. Create a smooth, blended look by rolling from just-painted areas to unpainted areas. This technique is called keeping a “wet edge.”
6. Roll paint on in a 3-ft. by 3-ft. W-pattern and fill in open areas using horizontal strokes.
7. Remove painter’s tape before paint is dry to reduce peeling.