Your best painting tips

[Jason]

Painting can be a fantastic low-cost way to freshen up a room and add value to a property. For a small investment, the right paint job can make a big impact. 

Painting is also something that anyone can do. But I'm sure the Workshop community has plenty of great tips for getting the best result possible.

Please share your painting tips in the discussion below.

Jason 

[Kermit]

One of my favourites is to wrap paintbrushes in cling wrap between coats to stop them drying out rather than washing your brushes in water.

[RenoQueen]

Just tap the brush gently against the side of the paint can. I see a lot of people wiping the brush against the lip which takes all the paint off. And when you dip the brush into the paint just cover half of the bristles.

[ProjectPete]

Don't go cheap on paint and equipment like rollers. A great quality roller makes a world of difference with the final finish and makes your paint go a bit further too.

Don't tape door frames. Even with expensive tapes I've found the paint peel right off. Instead I corner up to the frame and simply wipe any paint overflow on the frame off with a baby wipe.

+1 to @Kermit tip above re wrapping brushes in cling wrap - works a treat.

When painting entire walls, roll from top to bottom in full length rather than doing top half of wall then coming back to do bottom half. Avoids the darker/thicker paint through the middle of the wall.

Hope those few tips from an amateur help

[Isobel]

Preparation, prepartion, preparation.

There's some good tips here:

[Isobel]

I also liked these:

[KingStreetReno]

Use a spray gun for outdoor projects like fences. I recently bought the Dulux Rapid Spray Paint Sprayer for $99.

It will save you HOURS of time and lots of paint

[Jason]

I really like that rubber band tip. I am going to try that. 

Jason

[Joker]

Make sure you sand your walls before you paint. It will help ensure a nice smooth surface, getting rid of all the bumps and flaky paint from previous paint jobs. Use a pole sander to save time instead of a sanding block. 

[_Marley_]

I always use a black garbage bag to wrap the paint roller tray, tape it up so it fits well. Then when you are finished you can just throw the plastic bag away and don't have to spend hours cleaning the paint tray.