When it comes to painting your home, the right tools and techniques can make all the difference. Is a primer always necessary? What paint brushes work best? And how do you store leftover paint? Transform your space like a pro with tips from the Director of Home Improvement & Outdoor Lab, Dan DiClerico, as he reveals the best ways to tackle your next painting project.
Category
🛠️
LifestyleTranscript
00:00Are more expensive paints always better?
00:03We get this question a lot.
00:04No.
00:05Hi, I'm Dan DeClerico.
00:06I'm the director of the Home Improvement and Outdoor Lab
00:09at the Good Housekeeping Institute,
00:10where we test everything related
00:12to home remodeling and maintenance.
00:14Today, I'm gonna be answering some commonly asked questions
00:17about painting your home.
00:18This is Good to Know.
00:22All right, so the first question we have is,
00:23what are the most common mistakes people make
00:26when painting a room themselves?
00:27So, most of the mistakes we see are the result
00:30of people rushing the job.
00:31Painting is definitely DIY friendly,
00:33but you can't cut too many corners.
00:35Take color.
00:36A lot of people end up with the wrong color
00:38because they didn't take the time
00:40to test it on the wall first.
00:41Color's gonna look different
00:43under different light conditions,
00:44so you need to test a few options
00:46and live with them for a few days
00:48to figure out which one is the best.
00:51Another mistake a lot of people make
00:52is painting the ceiling.
00:54If you're doing the entire room,
00:55start with the ceiling
00:56so that you can take care of any drips
00:58that fall onto the walls as you work your way down.
01:01So, the next question is,
01:02what is the key to perfect paint preparation?
01:05That's a great question.
01:06Inexperienced DIYers tend to rush through the prep process.
01:10The fact of the matter is,
01:11an A-plus paint job like what you see from the pros,
01:14it's about 50% about the prep work.
01:16First, you need to start by removing any cracked
01:18or peeling paint from the wall.
01:20There's a few different ways to do this.
01:22We've actually got a few tools here.
01:23I like to use a dedicated paint scraper,
01:27but a regular old putty knife will do the job just as well.
01:29The scraper has a sharper edge.
01:31It's gonna help you get under any of that
01:33cracked or peeling paint.
01:34The goal here is just to create a perfectly smooth surface
01:37for that paint to adhere to.
01:38Next, you need to fill any deep holes
01:40with spackling compound.
01:42Your putty knife is gonna be perfect for that.
01:44If you don't have these tools,
01:45honestly, anything with a sharp edge will do the job.
01:48It could be a spatula.
01:49It could even be an old credit card.
01:50Then you gotta clean the surface.
01:52Regular soapy water will do the job.
01:54Make sure you let the surface dry completely
01:56before moving on to painting.
01:57And don't forget the painter's tape.
01:59Even experienced pros with a really steady hand
02:02use the tape on walls, ceilings, and floors
02:04and give them a crisp edge and a really neat finished look.
02:08All right, next question.
02:09Is it okay to skip primer?
02:11Yeah, many top paints in our tests have a built-in primer.
02:14One that I really like is Valspar Reserve
02:16one coat interior paint and primer.
02:18There are still times when you do need to use a primer.
02:21For example, if you're painting bare sheet rock
02:23or if your walls are really banged up.
02:25There are times you can skip the primer.
02:26On the other hand, there's no harm in applying it.
02:29So it's really up to you.
02:31All right, next question.
02:32How do I know which paint finish to use?
02:35You know, finish really affects performance and appearance.
02:38You have three main options to choose from.
02:40So first up, we have flat paint.
02:42It's got a matte finish.
02:44It does a really good job of hiding imperfections,
02:46but you know, it's a little bit harder to clean.
02:49So we recommend it for low traffic areas.
02:51Think of like maybe a living room, for example.
02:53Second up is semi-gloss.
02:54Consider the semi-gloss for doors and trims.
02:56It's gonna give you really good protection
02:58and that little bit of shine is useful
02:59for highlighting interesting architectural details.
03:02Then we have eggshell, also known as satin.
03:04It falls between flat and semi-gloss.
03:07It's really the most common finish out there.
03:09You see it used in bathrooms, kitchens,
03:11really any high traffic area.
03:13It's got a little bit of shine,
03:14so it gives you that protection,
03:16but it's a lot easier to clean
03:17and it's gonna give you good stain and scratch resistance.
03:20Okay, another question here.
03:22Does paint matching really work?
03:24Yeah.
03:25I mean, the color matching technology
03:26that retailers use has become really accurate.
03:29You could even take a color from one brand
03:31and have it matched in the paint of another brand.
03:34That's a great way to save money
03:36and maybe even end up with a higher performing paint.
03:39Okay, are more expensive paints always better?
03:43We get this question a lot.
03:45No, we often see less expensive paints
03:48that outperform products
03:49that cost maybe two or three times as much.
03:51These fancy designer paints,
03:53they're really all about their curated color palettes,
03:56but you can take a hue from that brand,
03:59go down to the retail and have it matched
04:02pretty much exactly to a less expensive,
04:04higher performing brand of your choice.
04:06We test dozens of paint brands in our lab
04:09and it's always kind of funny
04:11when a $30, $40 bucket of paint
04:14outperforms one that costs $80, $100.
04:18So yeah, you do not have to break the bank
04:21on your next paint project.
04:23Which types of brushes and rollers
04:25are used for which surfaces?
04:27Great question, I've actually got a few here.
04:32All right, so a synthetic brush that's got nylon bristles
04:36gonna do the best job of loading a water-based latex paint.
04:40Now that's what's used on the vast majority
04:42of interior paint projects.
04:43The paint loads really well onto the brush
04:46and as you're applying it to the wall, you can feel it.
04:48It's just gonna go on very smoothly.
04:50You know, a natural bristle brush like this one here,
04:53it's gonna hold too much of that paint.
04:54It's fine if you're working with an oil-based paint,
04:57but honestly, we don't see too many of those
04:59used these days.
05:00I love a two-inch angled sash brush.
05:04This is the tool for cutting in corners
05:07around windows, doors, where the wall meets the ceiling.
05:11This is the brush to reach for.
05:12Now let's talk rollers.
05:17Rollers are great if you have a lot of room,
05:19you know, a lot of wall to paint.
05:21It's so much faster than a paintbrush.
05:22Rollers with a steel frame is gonna be so much sturdier
05:25than a plastic frame, so definitely reach for a roller
05:27with a steel frame.
05:29When you're shopping for a roller, you're gonna see nap.
05:32That refers to the length of the fiber.
05:34So a shorter, maybe quarter-inch nap
05:37is gonna be the best choice for most walls,
05:39ceilings, you know, standard surfaces.
05:42The paint's just gonna go on smoothly
05:44and you're not gonna be left
05:45with a lot of marks and streaks.
05:46If the nap is too long, it's gonna take up too much paint
05:49and on a smooth surface,
05:51that's gonna put too much paint on the walls
05:53and that's where you get streaks and roller marks
05:55and, you know, that sort of thing.
05:56Choosing the right tools for your projects,
05:58it's honestly just as important as choosing the right paint.
06:01On to the next question.
06:03So how can I preserve my paintbrushes and rollers
06:05for future paint jobs?
06:07Always clean your brushes and rollers
06:08as soon as you're done using them for the day.
06:10A lot of people make the mistake of letting their tools dry
06:12with the paint still on them.
06:14As soon as that paint dries onto the fibers,
06:16those tools are kicked.
06:17You can do this at the sink
06:19or just fill a bucket with water.
06:20Next, you wanna dry the brushes, give them a good shake,
06:22get as much of that water out as possible.
06:24If you're using them the next day,
06:26I like to wrap them in plastic wrap or aluminum foil
06:29and for long-term storage, I use resealable plastic bags.
06:32Next question, what are the best practices
06:35to paint over an existing color?
06:37If you're painting over a dark color,
06:38say you're going from dark blue to beige,
06:40this is one of those times where we do recommend
06:42applying a primer coat first.
06:44You might also need to apply two coats of paint
06:46but if you choose a paint with really good hiding power,
06:49like the HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams
06:51Infinity Advanced Paint and Primer,
06:54a single coat should do the job.
06:56Another question is, can I paint over wallpaper?
06:59You can but only if it's in really good condition
07:01without any cracks or not peeling up in places.
07:05In those cases, you're really better off
07:06removing the wallpaper along with any of the adhesives
07:10that was used to originally install it.
07:12One question is, what's the best way
07:14to air out the paint smell?
07:16You wanna start by choosing a paint that's low in VOCs,
07:19that's short for volatile organic compounds.
07:22These are chemicals that off-gas into the room
07:25as the paint dries, that's what causes the odor
07:28but those chemicals can also cause some health issues,
07:30you know, eye and throat irritation,
07:33respiratory concerns, that sort of thing.
07:35Benjamin Moore Aura is one that we really like
07:37from our tests.
07:38Even if you choose a low VOC paint,
07:39you still wanna ventilate that room as much as possible.
07:42This is gonna help the paint dry and cure
07:45and give you that long-term performance.
07:46If weather allows, definitely leave the windows open
07:49for a period of hours, even a full day after painting.
07:52You can also run a fan in there to accelerate the breeze.
07:54We also recommend running an air purifier in the room
07:57for a few hours or even a full day after you paint.
08:00It's gonna help eat up any lingering contaminants
08:02or odors in the room.
08:04And our last question,
08:06what is the best way to store leftover paint?
08:09So make sure the lid is tight, first of all,
08:11then store it in a dry place away from sunlight.
08:15Ideally, you want the temperature to be a stable,
08:17you know, in between 60 and 80 degrees.
08:19In the right conditions,
08:20most paint will last for at least two years.
08:23Thanks so much for watching.
08:24Head to goodhousekeeping.com for more painting tips.
08:41♪ Hey, hey, hey, hey ♪