Nine Ways to Make Your DIY Paint Job Look Professional

The problem probably lies in your prep work.

Here are all the things you should take into account before you dip that brush.

Consider temperature and humidity

The weather can affect the quality of your paint job.

Extreme temperature or humidity can have an adverse impact on the drying time.

At colder temperatures, paint can thicken, extending its drying time.

At hotter temperatures, it can dry too quickly, affecting adhesion.

High humidity that leaves moisture on the walls will also result in a sub-par paint job.

One big reason paint jobs look like crap?

The nap on yourroller cover.

The nap of your roller describes the thickness of the fibers.

Go with a 1/4-inch nap.

Painting a brick wall?

An inch or even a 1 1/4-inch nap is best.

you’re able to ask about the paints undertone at the store where youre buying it.

you might alsouse a color wheelto compare it to primary colors to get a sense of the undertones involved.

Maybe the pigments dispersed incorrectly, or the mixing process was slightly off.

Boxing it eliminates the danger.

Your windows can throw a wrench into your paint colors.

This is because many windows have a verysubtle green tintdue to the presence of iron oxide in the glass.

Generally speaking, bulbs with higher color temperatures will brighten darker paint and mute lighter colors and vice versa.

You should also check thecolor rendering index (CRI)of your bulbs.

Finally, when actually painting, dont be shy with your roller.

When initially loading paint onto a dry cover, take your time and work paint deep into the nap.

When painting, dont roll until the roller is exhaustedreload frequently and keep the nap damp.