Makeover

6 golden rules when preparing to paint a home

August 7, 2022

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Painting your own home can be one of the most satisfying parts of a renovation process, but preparing your surfaces for painting properly is key.

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There are some important factors to consider before you get stuck in. Thankfully, our go-to paint expert, Shannon Vos, is on hand to help you go from zero to hero.

Here are his top six DIY tips when preparing to paint your home.

1. Planning is key

Planning is everything when comes to renovating — and painting is no different. The magic really happens before a brush is even picked up, Shannon says.

“It’s important to know what, where and when you are painting — especially if you are painting in a home that’s still being used by others,” he says.

*Different surfaces require different paints and prep work.*

A great place to start is to identify what type of paint is needed and the right way to apply it.

2. Test your colours

Sometimes colours will look different in real life compared to online or on a colour chip, so it’s important to sample and test.

“You should always paint colour swatches and see how they look at different levels of light throughout the day,” Shannon recommends.

“Taubmans Coloursmith does a great job of replicating known colours and transferring them into a colour palette, but nothing beats the real time data of actually testing the paint in situ.”

3. Preparation = glory

“Preparation is 90% of a painter’s glory,” says Shannon. “If it’s not prepped right, it just won’t last.”

Here are his top preparation tips:

Wash, clean, sand and then dust surfaces. Then, fill any holes and gaps.
An undercoat is not always needed, but it does provide a great surface for new paint to stick to. Taubmans 3-in-1 primer ticks all the boxes for a versatile undercoat.
Consider the environment you’re painting – for wet areas such as bathrooms Taubmans Advanced Adhesion & Mould Blocker is a specialised water based prep coat, ideal for blocking persistent oil, grease, and mould based stains and for inhibiting future mould growth.
Always paint in the right weather conditions and try to work in a dust-free environment.
Think about the surface – if you’re painting a stained material Taubmans Tough Stain Blocker is a powerful oil based prep coat ideal for blocking a wide range of difficult stains.

4. A painter is only as good as their tools

A cheap paintbrush will result in a sub-par job. Low cost paint won’t stand the test of time.

*Make sure you have the right tools for the job.*

When it comes to paint that lasts, Shannon says Taubmans Endure is “as good as paint can get”.

And for homes susceptible to lots of sun, salt and water damage – Taubmans All Weather is specifically designed to protect against peeling, flaking and blistering.

Pair it with a decent brush and a good lambswool roller. Then, you’re on your way to getting the job done right.

5. Get your technique down pat

Applying the correct painting technique is key to getting the job done correctly.

“I try to think of painting like this: you want to get as much paint on a surface as you can without it running off and dripping everywhere,” Shannon says.

“There is this sweet spot between a drippy mess and a scratchy thin film-like surface that you want to get just right. The trick is to get an even coat, but, if you’re unsure, less is always better.”