“Boredom turns the wheels of history.”
-Emil Cioran
The pandemic inspired millions of people worldwide to switch on their creative side. Thousands of do-it-yourself blogs, websites, and video materials are available on the internet today. The results displayed at the end of the video or blog indisputably look artistic and skilful. More often than not, people cry online about their recreations that don’t measure up to the ideals. The DIY community often criticises the artistic community for pretending to make art more democratic but making it all the more elite and exclusive by safekeeping their secret beans.
The face of the room is the wall. Perhaps, this is why it is called a wall makeover. The wall is an extensive palette for artists. Painting the wall with simple murals, stencils, and DIY rollers appears easy and tempting even for dummies. But when people replicate it with the tools, they often turn out to look clumsy and amateur. These essential tips will hopefully serve any wall DIY project:
Primarily:
Even with an excellent mural, the finish can look slobby without a primer. The wall’s surface will determine how the top layer of paint or wallpaper will look on it. The sheen does not appear consistent over the holes and cracks. Flashing is when light hits these sore spots, making the overall texture unpleasant in appearance. A coat of primer eliminates flashing, and the surface of the wall turns out even. A primer with a roller feathering out at the edges can give an even sheen, while a concrete broom brings out a rough texture to the wall. Tools are available in markets, and brooms are an affordable investment. These simple tools make a huge difference and one can buy brooms online. There are soft finish, medium finish, and strong finish brooms for individual needs. The size of the broom will depend on the design and dimension of the room and one can buy many different varieties of brooms online.
Lap Marks:
Those ugly stripes are the uneven layers of paint build-up. Lap marks occur when over partly drywall, wet paint is reintroduced. To avoid these lap marks, one must roll the entire wall’s height and maintain a wet edge. Keeping the “wet edge” ensures that the roller overlaps the previous stroke before it can dry.
Mix it ALL:
Even if they are of the same company and colour code, the paint can have slight shade variations. The difference may be mildly noticeable when a new can of paint starts from the middle of the room. Mixing all of the colours in a single can avoids this minor error and save face.
Trim, Ceiling, Go:
Professionals paint the trim and the ceiling before the wall works begin. Painting the trim needs less concentration, and taping it off is effortless. One does not need to panic if the paint gets onto the walls since a mural or stencil will cover it.
Rub it Off:
Dirty or oily surfaces can not absorb the paint entirely. The layer will chip or peel off, especially in greasy areas like kitchen walls. Cleaning the wall with a de-glosser or a heavy-duty cleaner will improve the adhesion of the paint. Cleaning the hand marks around switches and doorknobs using a lint-free cloth or abrasive pad does the job.
Sand Trimming:
For an ultra-smooth professional finish, sanding the surface between the coats is the key. A fine-grit sanding sponge gets into the crevices and helps with even pressure. After each sanding, vacuuming the trim is essential to remove the dust.