A new paint job may just be what your house needs to look good as new! From the kitchen to the living room to the office, a fresh coat of paint will do wonders. Fortunately, this does not need to be much work, money, or time, as proper preparations and a bit of elbow grease will show…… a little patience doesn’t hurt either. Of course, it’s never a bad idea to hire professional painters to do the job, but sometimes due to budget restraints, it’s a better idea to just do it yourself. Regardless, learning a thing or two about painting is useful. Interior painting might be a little tricky, but with a little patience and the right tools it is possible to do an adequate job. The first thing to decide upon is the color scheme of the room because this will create a cozy atmosphere and give the room or the whole house a real character that says something about your tastes and personality. From bright and whimsical to warm and welcoming, paint colour can set the tone in a home. The proper colour combinations can also make a room seem bigger and brighter.
Next step is to purchase the proper tools. Believe me when I tell you, your best friend is a professional paint brush. A good brush makes cutting in to all those delicate areas so much easier and gives you a much straighter line. I recommend the Wooster lindbeck pro production 2 1/2 in brush. I have used this brush solely for over 5 years now and I swear by it. It holds a fair amount paint in the bristles and retains a very solid line after numerous uses. It is important to always clean out your brush with cold water after every use (if using latex) as this keeps the bristles in top notch form. You can buy cheaper brushes but it has been my experience that a straight cut line is half a keen eye and half a decent brush. The keen eye takes time, but have no fear, if you find you have a shaky hand just pick up some painters masking tape to aid in the process. Again, more costly but more effective than the competitors, is frog tape. It holds back paint bleed and leaves a great line upon removal. Once you have picked out your brush and your tape to mask off those tricky interior painting areas, you will need painters poly (plastic sheeting) for covering up all the family heirlooms. A couple canvas tarps for covering the floor as you motor around your future masterpiece will also come in handy. A painting tray as well as a roller cage and a sleeve (roller) will also be necessary, as will an extension pole for your roller and a step ladder, unless you have a bullet proof back or are ten feet tall! Your sundries should include but are not limited to, sandpaper (120 grit) , filler (Drydex) for wall repairs, a filler knife (4inch will be fine unless you have extensive wall damage), caulking and a caulking gun for filling in all those unsightly gaps around trim work and cabinets, and some methyl hydrate to clean up any latex spatters you may have, and believe me even the pros have them….gravity does not discriminate! It is now time to consider your paint brand as you have your perfect colour picked out. Most interior painting projects are done in acrylic latex these days and I am a fan of various brands of paint for a variety of applications, but I use Cloverdale Paint on most of Pro Palette Painting’s jobs. Most interiors require a flat ceiling paint for the ceilings (semi- gloss in wet areas such as bathrooms and kitchens) , eggshell sheen on the walls , and semi-gloss on the trim. That being said, there are times when you may prefer a low- sheen eggshell on your trim, or a flat on your walls ( if you don’t have children or pets running around the home). Sheens typically run in this order: flat, eggshell, semi-gloss, high gloss. The first hiding the most flaws but being the least durable, and the latter being extremely durable and washable but hide qualities are not the best (shows imperfections more). Of course, the sheen is a personal preference and over the years the durability of these products all across the board has improved and continues to do so. Once you have all your tools of the trade and new castle colour ready to go, its time for the prep. The worst part of the job, but the most important. The holes and gaps need to be filled and sanded, gaps caulked, and walls pole sanded in entirety to give a nice smooth finish. A new colour won’t look so new if underneath it looks like the surface of the moon. If all of this is sounding like more trouble than it’s worth, give us a call at Pro Palette Painting – interior painting Victoria BC. The fun begins as you patiently apply that first brushstroke of colour to your new canvas, being careful to smooth out your brush strokes with nice even pressure. This even pressure also comes in very handy as you apply the colour on by roller after you have cut in all your outside edges. Remember to roll all the way up to the top cut and all the way down to the bottom cut. Rolling in a choppy uneven path can put more pressure on one side of the roller and leave heavy build up on the walls and will tarnish your perfect prep! It is always a good idea to back roll ( with light pressure and the same up and down motion). Back rolling is essentially re-rolling the (just rolled) area with light pressure to smooth out any imperfections, before dipping the roller in the tray to start the next segment of the wall. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, for the most part paint is mistake free (it can all be fixed). Weather you’re tackling interior or exterior painting, every good painter made his/her fair share of mistakes along the way. Have fun with it, enjoy your creation! Be proud of your new castle…and if all else fails and the fine lines test your patience to the point of exhaustion, then by all means give me a call. We are always happy to add to our family of customers.
Happy Painting, Gord Koehn (Pro Palette Painting)
We hired Pro Palette to paint the interior of our home – ceilings, walls, closets and trim. We were extremely satisfied with the level of service, including the consultation and expertise Gord (owner) provided when we were narrowing down colour choices and placement. The team of two painters, Matt and Kyle did an amazing job and were very professional. The team moved efficiently and after each day they left the space clean and tidy. The care shown by them made the process easier on us. We highly recommend the team at Pro Palette and will certainly use them again if the need arises. Well done!
We recently had the interior of our townhouse painted by Pro Palette, and we highly recommend them. Gord scheduled an estimate very soon after we first contacted them, and sent the (very detailed) written estimate within an hour of visiting our house. The estimate was notably lower than the others we received. Before the painting began, Gord was excellent at communicating, both answering any questions that we had and raising things we hadn’t thought of ourselves. The painters, Matt and Kyle, were on time arriving every morning. They were friendly and pleasant, and left everything as neatly as possible at the end of each work day. The finished work is beautiful- there was great attention to detail and an obvious care taken in their work. We couldn’t have asked for a better painting company, from the beginning of the project to the end.
We had two interior rooms painted by Pro Palette and are very happy with the result. The owner Gordon is responsive, friendly and provided a fair estimate – and he charged exactly what he estimated for the job, which we really appreciated. The crew Matt & Kyle were professional and efficient, providing regular updates on the work while they were here. We wouldn’t hesitate to hire Pro Palette again, and will be hiring them when it comes time to paint the exterior of our home. Highly recommend!
We recently had our home’s interior painted by the team at Pro Palette and we couldn’t be happier. Gord and his team were communicative and professional the entire way through. During the estimate process Gord flagged potential additional costs other companies hadn’t. If anything came up they were quick to communicate issues and provide solutions. We’ve been getting plenty of comments on how great the paint job looks. Would highly recommend them to anyone looking for painters in Victoria!
My husband and I highly recommend Pro Palette Painting, Gord is incredibly responsive, a pleasure to deal with and made the experience of having our entire condo painted as seamless as possible. Our painters, Matt and Kyle, did a great job, and even though 3 coats of paint were ultimately required throughout, they finished the job a day earlier than expected. They even added a 4th coat in one room at no extra cost.
We thought that painting our recently purchased home could be a job that we could manage. However, after giving one room a try we knew that we would be in over our heads. The finishing and drywalling included lots of nails ands a bumpy wall and ceiling that definitely needed the pro’s. After a lot of research, we worked with the folks at Pro Palette. In a ten working day period they did an extensive, detailed job on prep that resulted in a superb product. Matt absolutely knows what he is doing when it comes to this and the few tiny things we found as they were working were immediately and thoroughly addressed. Kyle is careful and professional. Gordon did the upfront work, went through everything with us in great detail, offered excellent professional advice, and kept us completely in the loop. The project started on time, all work was completed to above standard, the project finished a day ahead of schedule and all on budget. No surprises, excellent work, started each day on time, good natured and pleasant folks, respectful of our home and time, and fulsome communication. Without a doubt exceeded our expectations. Thanks so much – we are very happy with the lovely result.