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Are you tackling a remodeling project? Painting the walls is an easy and inexpensive way to give your room a new look, but the job can be time-consuming.
Using painting hacks to speed up the process can save you a lot of time. Many hacks make painting easier and less messy as well.
Keep reading to learn painting tips and hacks to renovate your room faster.
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Protect Floors With Cardboard
Drop cloths can be difficult to work with. They can be too large or small and are often cumbersome to handle. They can also be slippery or shift while you work.
An alternative is to use large sheets of cardboard to cover the floor. The straight edge fits against the wall without bunching. You can easily slide the cardboard along the floor as you move around the room.
Wipe Walls With a Mop
Cleaning the walls before painting is an essential step to get professional-quality results. That’s true whether you paint it yourself or hire local painters to do the work.
Instead of holding a rag and wiping the walls by hand, secure a damp cloth over a mop head to make the job faster. You can cover more ground faster, and the long handle lets you reach high areas of the wall without a ladder.
Use Petroleum Jelly
Do you have a small space you don’t want to paint? Covering a tiny space, such as a screw or tiny corner of trim, with painters tape can be nearly impossible.
Instead, cover the surface you don’t want to be painted with petroleum jelly. If you get paint on it, the paint won’t stick. Wipe away the petroleum jelly when you done.
Line Paint Trays
If you’re using rollers, you’ll need paint trays. Pouring paint directly into the tray leaves it messy and difficult to clean, and paint tray liners often don’t fit perfectly.
An inexpensive alternative is to use press-and-seal plastic wrap to cover the tray completely. You can also use aluminum foil. When you’re done painting, simply throw away the plastic wrap or foil.
Keep Paint Fresh
Paint dries quickly, even paint that’s in a paint tray. If you’re going to take a break from painting, use plastic wrap to cover the paint to keep it fresh.
Placing plastic wrap over the can before putting the lid on can also help. It creates a better seal to prevent the paint from drying, so you’ll have it for touch-ups.
Remove Tape With a Hair Dryer
Painters tape can help protect your trim, but it can also be difficult to remove. The ideal time to remove the tape is when the paint feels dry to the touch, usually after about an hour. Taking it off too soon can let the paint drip onto the trim.
If you wait too long or miss some of the tapes, it can be difficult to remove without pulling paint off of the walls. One trick to remove it easier is to heat it up gently with a hairdryer. The softer tape will be easier to pull off without damaging the wall.
Follow the Best Painting Hacks
With time-saving painting hacks on your side, you can get your painting jobs done faster. You get pro-quality results without wasting unnecessary time.
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