DIY projects are not happy pastimes for everyone. We don’t all have the time or energy to tackle home improvements by ourselves, and often we may feel like we don’t have the skills or experience either. While it may be tempting to start hacking at stud walls or peeling off dated wallpaper, successfully achieving the best standards from these attempts isn’t always as easy as we may hope it to be. Thankfully, there are lots of sources and experts out there that are willing to share their knowledge so that even the most inexperienced DIY worker can have some success when having a go at the basics. Specifically in this article, we will consider some tips in regard to painting walls, quickly transforming a space, and maintaining outside areas. Let’s get started!
Deck the Halls With Tins of Paint!
Painting is a great way to completely transform a space and create a whole new feel to a room and home. It is a relatively simple skill yet one that requires quite an attention to detail. A lot of the hard work with painting is in the preparation, yet if you fail to prepare correctly, you’ will find the painting itself to be a lot more difficult. You will also the find that the finish is not to a high standard, with drips and flecks of paint ending up on surfaces where you really don’t want them. It pays to put in the time and effort with the vital preparation step so that you can make a success of your painting project. Whatever material from the Materials Market you are using, there will specific things you need to do in order to prepare if for painting in order to ensure that the finish is to a high quality and that the new paint adheres well to the surface. So, what is involved in preparing a room for painting? Here are a few main steps:
- Cover all your furniture to protect it from paint.
This is the first thing you need to do when you’re ready to pain. Either move the furniture you can to other rooms or move it into the centre of the room and cover it with some kind of covering, either a plastic sheet or big piece of fabric, in order to protect it from paint splashes. Even tiny flecks of paint can make their way onto precious household items so make sure you keep things covered and secure so that doesn’t happen.
- Remove the covers of your outlets and sockets.
Carefully take off the covers that go over your switches and sockets. You don’t want drops of paint staining them, and you’ll be glad when you don’t end up with lines of paint on the edges as you paint around them. Keep the plates and screws somewhere safe so that you know where they are to put them back. If taking these covers off sounds like too much work, make sure to keep them well covered by using painters’ tape to cover the items you don’t want to become discoloured. This tape can also be used to cover door handles and other fixtures in the room.
- Scrape and spackle.
No, this step is not the name of a Kids TV Show animal duo. If you’ve got paint that is peeling, scrape it off rather than painting over it. If you’ve got any large cracks, use spackle to fill them. This is crucial in preparing the surface to be painted. You will find the painting process a lot easier, and the finish a lot smoother, when you take the tome to prepare the surface.
Another key thing when it comes to painting is choosing the right paint. Don’t get distracted with the pretty colours or the pleasingly cheap price tags. All paints have specified purposes and environments that need to be in place for the best results to be achieved. To find the best paint for you, do your research so that you don’t waste your time and energy on painting a wall that will just need to be done again in the future. Make sure you have the right tools too and choose suitable brushes and rollers for your painting project.
When all of these aspects work together, you will have a more successful painting project that brings results you can be proud of!
Little Changes Make a Big Difference
You can transform your space by just making a few minor, inexpensive changes. Declutter and get rid of items you don’t use to make more space. Organise what you do have, from your pet supplies to your wires and cables, to create a cleaner, sleeker look. By getting rid of mess and clutter, you will make a big difference to the overall feel of the room. A decluttered, clean home will also have a big positive impact on your mental health.
Furthermore, if you have any areas of tiling in your home freshening up those areas can make a big improvement. You can buy new tiles, or can you buy a tile refreshening kit that will brighten up the tiles you already have. You can even buy tile paint to change up the look, or grout cleaner to make your bathroom walls or kitchen floors look like new!
Rethink Your Landscape
Your home goes beyond the four walls of your property – your garden and other outside space is also part of your residence and can make a massive difference to the look and feel of the whole dwelling. Add plants and trees that will bring bursts of colour and life to your garden, without taking away any natural light or becoming compromising to the structure of your home. If you have a lawn, keep the height of the grass around 3 inches and look after it to keep it green and healthy. In fact, many people are choosing to move away from lawns and are looking to implement more eco-friendly options, so this could be something to investigate too.