All Frederick rental properties must have regular maintenance in order to remain in good condition. A large portion of this maintenance includes painting the interior walls. It looks like a pretty simple task to roll or brush some paint on wherever needed. But an immediate painting job can suddenly become a nightmare if you aren’t properly prepared. Even if you are getting your rental home ready for a new tenant or giving your property’s walls a much-needed facelift, there are certain tricks the professionals use to ensure a better outcome. By following these pro tips and tricks, you can make your next interior paint job both look better and become easier to accomplish.
Prep the Right Way
As anyone with experience painting interior walls will tell you, preparing your surfaces before you start to paint is half the battle. You should not only prep the walls to be painted, but you must also protect any adjacent surfaces, furniture, and light fixtures. To prepare like a professional, start by removing all light switch and outlets plates, window coverings, and anything else on the walls. After that, use a tack cloth to clean your walls and trim. Tack cloth is a specific kind of cheesecloth designed to remove dust and debris from painted surfaces without water. Once you have wiped down your surfaces, it’s definitely smart to mask off adjacent surfaces with the use of low-stick painter’s tape and masking film. When used together, you can quickly cover windows, light fixtures, and floors. It would be better if you also used several larger drop cloths to cover furniture and to protect your floors from drips and spills.
Use Quality Materials and Paint
Just as many Frederick rental property owners, you’re likely budget-conscious. Yet, attempting to cut costs by purchasing cheap materials and paint is not a good idea. To get a professional result, invest in good-quality brushes, rollers, and paint pans. Plus, it is necessary to pick quality paint. A cheap paint may seem like a deal, but chances are you’ll end up needing multiple coats to get the same coverage that a better-quality paint can achieve in one. You’re probably going to end up buying more paint and spending more time painting your interior walls to achieve full coverage compared to if you originally purchased a higher quality paint.
Paint Like a Pro
When you’re ready to start painting, make sure that you have everything you’ll need on hand. Many other pro painters will wear latex or nitrile gloves to keep their hands clean. You should cover your hair and clothes, as well. Paint rollers tend to splatter a little, especially when painting ceilings. Begin with the edges of the room and work your way toward the center. This will help avoid roller marks. Finally, if your paint job takes longer than a day, wrap your brushes and rollers in plastic overnight. Just ensure that your wrapping is airtight. This will prevent them from drying out and save you time cleaning them in between painting sessions.
Or Hire a Pro
Certainly, one of the best options to get a professional result is to hire professionals to paint your rental property’s interiors. It can be a challenge to know who you can trust to do a good job, and simply picking a name off a list is not a good idea. You can seek a quality painter by asking around, especially at your local paint or hardware store. Other excellent sources include local real estate professionals and the experts at Real Property Management of the Rockies. After you have a shortlist of names, just be sure you get at least three bids for the job. You may be pressed for time, but that doesn’t indicate that you should pay over the market rate for quality work. In the end, never pay the painter upfront. That is a huge red flag and may mean they are trying to scam you. If the painter you hired asks for payment in full before starting the job, find another painter.
Painting your rental property’s interiors doesn’t have to be a hassle. This is exceptionally true if you know all the tips and tricks the professionals use to get beautiful results in no time.
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