Helpful Ways To Prevent Mold and Mildew in Southlake, TX

When it comes to things you may sometimes find in a home or apartment, mold and mildew are among some of the most unwelcome of them all.
This is because mildew -- just a fancy way of saying mold in its early stages -- as well as mold itself can cause a host of problems for you, and not just in the sense that it is not aesthetically pleasing but rather also because it can create numerous health risks for you and your family.
These include things like respiratory problems, headaches, eye irritation, and more -- and so it of course is good to get rid of both mildew and mold, it's even better if you can prevent it from making an appearance in the first place.

With that being the case, here are some helpful ways to prevent mold and mildew in Southlake, TX.

1. Spread Towels Apart After Use In Bathroom
Odd as it may sound, just using your towel in the bathroom and then improperly storing it can be a factor in introducing mildew into your home, which we have mentioned will lead to mold if not checked.
After you have used your towel post shower or even after just washing your hands, make sure that the towels that are wet are spread far apart and aren't clumped together so that you don't have an issue with mildew.

2. Fix Plumbing Leaks In A Timely Manner
If there's one thing that mold and mildew love, it's water, and no matter how small of a leak you might have, the steady drips of the water will lead to mildew growing in the long term.
This is not to speak of the possible long term damage and destruction that may be headed your way should you choose not to take care of plumbing leaks -- water that drips can accumulate over time and ultimately cause minor if not major flood damage and the deterioration of floors and walls.

3. Use Dehumidifiers As Needed
Particularly in the warmer months if you live in the more humid areas, you can find yourself in a rather humid home and that is just an invitation for mildew.
It is well worth it to invest in dehumidifiers -- and if you have spent any time emptying out the containers of dehumidifiers, you will know that what they do is no joke as they literally remove that excess water from the air.

4. Wipe Down Your Shower After Use
This one is a fairly obvious one but people still seem to miss the boat on it -- if you are done with the shower, wipe down the walls with a squeegee or towel dry it if need be and then properly hang the towel to dry.
Leaving the walls dripping wet is just another way to get the mildew into your home and just remember -- it's easier to prevent it from being there in the first place than to make the effort to have to remove it after it is already there.

5. Regularly Check For Rainwater Entry
If you live in a house, you can be sure that as long as there's a roof over your head, there's a way for rainwater to get into your home if you aren't careful.
Regularly inspecting the exterior of your home is a good way to make sure that rainwater has not made it into your home, for once it has gotten in and done the damage, making repair is quite a chore and a difficult one at that!​

Need some advice on a project in Southlake, TX? Illuminate Painting can help you with your painting needs. Schedule an estimate or call us at (325) 305-6005.

5 Ideas For Painting Your Ceiling While Reducing Your Mess in Coppell, TX

Interior painting is generally a messy thing, with paint dripping during the process as well as the paint that spills from the various paint containers while transporting them and other messy factors.
There are things that can be done to vastly reduce the amount of mess that we make in the process of painting the ceiling, which tends to be a bit more on the messy side on account of the nature of gravity itself causing paint to come down off of the ceiling, as careful as we are while painting it.

With that being the case, here are five ideas for painting your ceiling while reducing your mess in Coppell, TX.

1. Use Heavy Cloth Drop Cloth For The Floor
Seemingly the most obvious of things to do is to cover the floor when you are painting in any case, but when you are painting the ceiling it is more important to wisely choose the material you will be using to cover it.
A lighter weight material such as a flimsy plastic tarp might work well at first, but as you are moving around the room it could easily shift and expose the floor area to  dripping paint.
There are certain lighter cloth drop cloths that are so thin that paint passes right through them and it isn't even worth having anything to cover the floor when this is the case.
A heavy cloth drop cloth will protect your floor from the dripping paint and also not shift about.
​If your drop cloth has a side of it that is plastic, it can help to better protect your floor from any spill that will happen during the painting process.

2. Remove Your Light Switch Covers And Outlet Covers
No matter how careful we are, it's nearly impossible to avoid getting paint on the light switch covers and electrical outlet covers while painting.
The better thing to do is to just remove them entirely and to use painter's tape to cover the exposed area.
It's a lot easier to remove the painter's tape after the work is done than to try to clean the switch / outlet covers.

3. Remove Wall And Ceiling Light Fixtures If Possible
In addition to getting in the way, ceiling and light fixtures often will be the very things that will get splattered with paint during the process of painting the ceiling.
By removing these light fixtures, you will avoid the possibility that they will get messy.
If it's not possible to remove the wall and ceiling light fixtures, you can cover them with tape and plastic as this also will help to prevent a mess.

4. Better Lighting For Smaller Messes
The better you can see what you are doing, the smaller the likelihood that you are going to make a mess or spill while you are painting your ceiling.
One of the best kinds of light you can get for interior painting is flood lighting, and flood lights can be purchased or rented.
Either way, you do well for yourself by illuminating your painting area.

5. Stir Paint In A Paper Bag
One way that messes get made while you are painting any interior space is during the mixing of the paint, which is necessary during a typical painting project.
To protect your interior from the kinds of spills that take place while stirring the paint, do the stirring inside a paper bag, the kind that you would typically get from a supermarket.
This contains any possible spill that might happen.

Need some advice on a project in Southlake, TX? Illuminate Painting can help you with your painting needs. Schedule an estimate or call us at (325) 305-6005.

5 Tips and Tricks For Preparing For Interior Painting in Colleyville, TX

When you are remodeling your home, you will sometimes look to do some interior paintwork to change the look of one or more of your rooms.
In the process of getting ready to paint your home interior, there are some steps that are good to take beforehand to make for a better painting project overall.
With that being the case, here are five tips and tricks for preparing for interior painting in Colleyville, TX.

1. Sand First

The best way to ensure that your paint will go onto the walls of your home smoothly is to first make sure that your walls are as smooth as possible, and that entails sanding them first.
You will find that the surface of your walls will be much more leveled and free of the rough spots that tend to come up over time.
The best way to sand your walls is using a fine sanding paper attached to a sanding pole, making sure that you don't put too much pressure on the pole lest it flip over and possibly cause damage to the
wall.
Once you have finished sanding, it is necessary to remove all of the sanding dust that comes up from the wall using a vacuum cleaner to get the majority of it and a damp cloth to get the rest -- and of course, you will need to allow the walls to dry before you proceed.

2. Better Supplies For A Better Paint Job

Though it is surely tempting to go into the dollar section of your favorite retail outlet, you're going to want to skip it when it comes to both painting supplies as well as paint for a couple of reasons.
When it comes to painting supplies, you will find that the cheaper supplies tend to do a considerably worse job of painting your walls than the better made ones -- at some point it may be easier and effective to just toss the paint directly onto the wall and have your walls resemble a Jackson Pollock work than to use cheap brushes.
At the same time, you will find that cheaper brushes make it harder to paint and often bristles will come right off and go into the paint itself, making it so that you have to pick out the bristles so they don't get stuck to the wall.
Cheaper paint is often made a lot worse, and is considerably more difficult in terms of how smoothly it goes on and the consistency of the paint.

3. Tint The Primer To Go With The Intended Paint Color

​In terms of the primer coat that you should always make sure to apply prior to painting with
your choice of paint color(s), it is actually better to use a primer that has been tinted to be either a shade of grey (just one is necessary) or a color that is close to the one that you will be ultimately using on the wall.
This is because as far as coverage goes, it is better to use a primer that is not white -- the existing color on the wall will be much better covered if you don't use white.
On particularly bright colors you will be doing yourself a big favor by using such a primer, and save yourself from having to do extra coats of paint.

4. Canvas Drop Cloths To Protect

​Dripping paint and painting projects go together and when you are painting the interior of your home, it really can't be avoided.
There are few things that will protect your floors the way that canvas drop cloths will, as far as both the level to which protection is offered as well as how prone the protection is to slipping
all over the place.
A well placed canvas drop cloth will stay in place and not expose your floor to dripping paint, and unlike a
plastic covering will properly absorb the dripping paint and not allow it to get through to the floor.
The benefit of the cloth absorbing the paint lies in the fact that when you later walk on it, the paint doesn't get on your shoes and ultimately your floor.

5. De-grease Before Painting

A dirty wall is one that is not going to take primer and paint well, and your best bet for properly removing all of the dirt and grease and gunk that just accumulates on a wall over time is a good de-greasing agent.

When using such agents you are going to likely want to take a good amount of care to protect your hands as they are quite strong and will require gloves as well as something you can use to apply the agent.

Need some advice on a project in Southlake, TX? Illuminate Painting can help you with your painting needs. Schedule an estimate or call us at (325) 305-6005.

7 Ways To Avoid A Mess While Interior Painting in Grapevine, TX

When you are looking to paint the interior of your home, you will frequently find that the process of painting can make a bit of a mess.
This doesn't necessarily have to be the case, however -- with the right knowledge on your side you will know that there are things you can do to avoid messes.
As this is the case, let us now look at and consider seven ways to avoid a mess while interior painting in Grapevine, TX.

1. Consider Rosin Paper For Your Hardwood Floors
Drop cloth has its place in the painting world and it definitely does a great job of protecting, but when it comes to hardwood floors you might find that even the best drop cloth sometimes will slide.
The better solution comes in the form of rosin paper, which is both lightweight while also being able to protect your floors.
Using rosin paper you can rest assured that you won't have to worry about paint spilling onto the floor.

2. Move Furniture Out Of The Room
When you are painting the walls in a room, you'll want to to make sure that anything that could possibly get in your way is removed so that you neither stumble over it while painting nor possibly get paint on them.
Furniture, for example -- it can be quite inconvenient to try to maneuver your way around the furniture in the room.
The best thing you can do under ideal circumstances is to remove the furniture in the room prior to painting.
If you're not able to remove the furniture, you can try to cover the furniture with drop cloth after moving it to the center of the room to try to get it out of the way.

3. Remove Electrical Outlet Covers And Cover Them With Painter's Tape
There are few things that are quite so difficult to clean as the cover of electrical outlet covers as well as the kinds of covers you find on light switches and the like.
You can begin by removing the covers and then since you will have exposed outlets and those need to be protected in some way.
For this you can turn to painter's tape, which will keep paint away from the sensitive areas.

4. Mix Paint Inside Paper Bags
When you are mixing paint, you can really get a lot of paint places where paint just shouldn't go (unless you are working on an abstract work of art, that is.)
If you mix the paint inside paper bags, the kind of bags that you might find distributed at grocery stores for example, the paint will stay inside the bag and not cause as much of a mess in your home.

5. Hair Dryer For Releasing Tape
If you have a problem getting off tape when you are removing it during the painter's process, a hair dryer or another portable source of heat will go a long way.
The heat will soften the bond between the tape and the wall and you will be able to more easily remove it without having it tear.

6. Do Not Use Cheap Paint Rollers
If you're in the dollar spot of your local store and find paint rollers, you do not want to take the opportunity to invest at that time.
Cheap paint rollers do terrible things to your paint job and will often require you to spend two to three times as much time painting than you would with a well made paint roller -- and if you're spending that much time painting because you saved a little up front, are you really saving money?

7. Use A Pie Tin To Catch  Dripping Paint From The Can
The best way to catch the dripping paint coming off of your paint can is to attach a disposable pie tin to the bottom of the can -- it will catch the drips and is a lot easier to get rid of than the paint that would otherwise fall onto the floor.
Once you're done painting, you can dispose of the tin.

Need some advice on a project in Southlake, TX? Illuminate Painting can help you with your painting needs. Schedule an estimate or call us at (325) 305-6005.

9 Colors To Use When Painting Your Brick Exterior in Southlake, TX

We have previously discussed the pros and cons of painting your brick exterior, so if you have decided that you are going to do it, how do you determine what color is right for you?
There are many colors out there in the world of brick painting and some are better than others for your personal brick painting needs.
With that being the case, let us look at and consider nine colors to use while painting your brick exterior in Southlake, TX.

1. White
Though you may be inclined to think this an odd choice, this color actually makes sense from a couple of different perspectives.
White is  a color that reflects light and so a brick house that is painted white tends to stay cooler in the summer time.
If you live in a warmer region you may want to consider white as a color for your brick house.
2. Green
​Green works well if you are a fan of nature though you have to really be careful about what green you choose for this as there are some greens that are quite unnatural.
You may do well to choose a forest green as this will look more like the kinds of greens that you see in a wooded area.
3. Blue
Blue brings to mind the color of the sky and of course also the color of the ocean.
It may do you well to take a few samples of the paint in different shades of blue to see which one is most appropriate for your home.
4. Red
True, brick does tend to come naturally red, but there is something that is just aesthetically pleasing about a painted brick that is red.
Though to some there are certain shades of red that bring to mind a firehouse, you can get away with painting your brick house red if you are careful with the colors that you choose for the trim.
5. Gray
Gray sometimes will come across as a rather dull color but it absolutely doesn't have to be -- there are many shades of gray (excuse the pun) that are rather bright and vibrant.
You can use yellow to go with it on the trim to really accentuate the gray color.
6. Cream
If you like the idea of a lighter color house but don't want to go all the way to the extreme of white, you can opt for a cream colored brick house.
Cream gives some of the benefits of the white house in that it reflects much light but it has a different aesthetic that some people prefer.
7. Maroon
Maroon is a brownish-crimson color that may be a nice alternative to painting your brick house strictly red.
It can likely go well with accents and trim that are brown to complement the crimson elements.
8. Yellow
A yellow brick painted house will of course remind people of the Wizard of Oz but there is much more to it than that.
You can consider using white and gray for trim to your yellow brick house if you go with a more pale shade of yellow, or perhaps use a green or brown trim if you have a deeper yellow that may even trend toward looking gold.
9. ​Plum
Plum is a purple like color that is rich and will add a splendid look to your brick home.
It will enhance your home and improve the overall curb appeal.
Overall it has a regal sense to it and may be your best choice if you are going for a certain elegant look.

​Need some advice on a project in Southlake, TX? Illuminate Painting can help you with your painting needs. Schedule an estimate or call us at (325) 305-6005.

5 Benefits of Painting Your Interior Walls in Coppell, TX

​When you are looking to paint the interior walls of your home, you may be thinking that making your walls look nicer is the chief reason to want to set about painting.
There are many reasons that go well beyond just outward appearances, many of which are not so well known to the people that consider interior home painting.

That being the case, here are five benefits of painting your interior walls in Coppell, TX.

1. Improving Protection Of The Walls

When you paint the interior walls of your home, you are more than just making them look better, you are providing a good amount of protection to them as well.
One thing that you get protection from is dust and mildew, two of the worst kinds of allergens that can be in your home.
If you use low or zero VOC paints, moreover, you will find that you have healthier overall air and will present none of the fumes that you will find in paints that have VOCs present.

2. Increased Property Value

Painting the interior walls of your home does a great deal for improving the property value of your home.
When you paint the interior walls of your home, you will also greatly improve the likelihood that you will get the actual asking asking price, which is most usually a good thing when you are trying to sell your home.
It bears mentioning that when you choose colors for painting the interior walls of your home, you will want to be careful about what colors you choose as some will boost your property value by more or less and some will actually bring down the value of your home, as  new as they may be.

3. Personalized Walls

As you move into your new home, you will note that the colors of the interior walls are determined not necessarily by what you like, but what the previous owners chose for the home.
When you paint the interior walls of the home, you can choose any color you like for the walls with no regard to anything other than your own wants.
It's worth noting, of course, that when you are choosing colors, if you have any intention of selling the home down the line you will want to choose certain colors that are more likely to increase the value of your home.
Naturally, you can always choose to repaint the interior walls of your home closer to when you are looking to sell it.

4. Scuffs And Damage Removed

When you paint the interior walls of your home, you can at the same time take care of any of the scuffs or damage that may be present on the wall.
Part of the process of painting your interior walls involves cleaning, sanding and priming the walls, which will first and foremost get rid of any stain that may be present, as well as cover up any stain that cannot be removed.
Moreover, the process of sanding and priming your walls will take care of the scuffs and damage that may be present -- and if the damage is sufficiently significant, there are ways of taking care of that as well.

5. Give Your Walls A Brand New Look

Painting your interior walls gives them an entirely new look -- you can go from having walls that are covered with wallpaper to having walls that are a color or colors of your choice.
When you are living in your home for a certain period of time, you will possibly become accustomed to having your walls look a certain way.
It should be noted that it is perfectly okay and acceptable to mix up the look every once in awhile and to give the interior walls of your home a new look.

Need some advice on a project in Colleyville, TX? Illuminate Painting can help you with your painting needs. Schedule an estimate or call us at (325) 305-6005.

5 Steps To Properly Stain Your Wooden Fence in Colleyville, TX

When you have a wooden fence and are looking to improve the look, one thing you might consider is either painting or staining it.

Both have their benefits, but for those that like the look of the grain of their wooden fence, staining the fence is the superior way to go about doing it.

There are ways that you can go about staining your wooden fence such that the look of the fence is considerably improved and the stain job lasts longer

With that being the case, here are five steps to properly stain your wooden fence in Colleyville, TX.

1. Examine The Fence For Issues That Need Correcting

The fence first needs to be first scrutinized for any kind of defect that may be present that would cause a problem with the staining process.
The kinds of problems that you may have are small holes where there had been nails or even areas where you can find imperfections due to pieces of fence that are missing.
If you happen to find these areas, you are going to have to sand appropriate areas and also fix and remove that which needs to be removed.

2. Clean The Fence
A dirty fence is a fence that you're not going to be able to stain -- can you just imagine a layer of dirt or dust that is on top of your wooden fence and then trying to apply a coat of stain to it?
All you would do is stain the dirt instead of staining the fence.
There are a few ways you can go about cleaning your fence, one of which is that you can take a wood cleaner and apply it over the surface of the fence.
You can then clean off the dirt and grime with water and a good use of a brush and what some people might refer to as elbow grease.
Alternatively, if you have access to a power washer you can use one to really get the dirt off of your fence -- you will want to be careful not to be too close to the fence or use too strong of a setting as it is possible to damage the fence.

3. Prepare The Work Area
The next thing you're going to want to do is to prepare your staining work area.
Specifically, what you're going to want to do is to make sure that you have the right amount of stain available to stain the fence and that you also have some protective equipment for the area around your fence prior to staining.
One important thing that you would want to have is some kind of heavy drop cloth or weighted tarp to protect the ground and your home from the staining process.
The reason you will want to consider weighted tarps or a heavy drop cloth is that other materials that cover the ground might shift around as you are walking.​
​
4. Stain The Fence
Now you are ready to stain the fence -- you can apply a coat of stain to your wooden fence.
You will have to allow your stain to dry if you are planning on applying more than one coat of the stain.
It is good to know that the more coats of stain you apply, the darker and deeper the color of the stain that you are applying.

​5. Give The Fence Time To Dry
The last thing you'll want to do is to give your fence adequate time to rest, or dry.
It's important that you do this, even if you are planning on adding more coats of stain, because you don't want to inadvertently remove layers of stain as you are attempting to add coats of stain.
The period of drying is going to be at least a full day but it could be up to two days depending on what kind of weather you're having and how humid things are in your area.

​​

Need some advice on a project in Colleyville, TX? Illuminate Painting can help you with your painting needs. Schedule an estimate or call us at (325) 305-6005.

7 Helpful Hints for Exterior Paint Prep in Grapevine, TX

When you are looking to paint the exterior of your home, you should know that you are undertaking a sizable project, one that won't just take a day or two but rather at least three to four days, and that's when you have a couple of people helping you with it.
It's also extremely useful to have a bit of knowledge on your side as it were, some practical advice that will guide you through the process of painting the exterior of your home.

With that in mind, here are seven helpful hints for exterior paint prep in Grapevine, TX.

1. Know Where Your Ladders Will Go

A major way that people get injured is to fall off of a ladder -- it can be something that can really hurt a person if they are to fall off of it.
A reason that this happens is that ladders aren't properly placed and/ or are not held in place by someone helping the person that goes up the ladder to paint.
If you start out by at least knowing where you are going to be putting your ladder, you will be able to know how to properly secure it when you are painting the higher parts of the exterior of your home.

2. Be Aware Of How Much Paint You Will Need

If there's one thing that wastes time, it's running out of your supplies and then needing to go out and get more of them.
Paint, for example -- if you run out of paint before you are finished painting the exterior of your home, you will need to get more of it.
The best way to prevent this from happening, of course, is to be well aware in advance how much paint you will be needing for your exterior painting project.
If you need to figure out how much paint you will need for a given exterior painting project, it's just a matter of calculating how many square feet of wall you have and, based on that, how much paint you will need.
The kind of exterior you have will also have an influence on how much paint you will need as different kinds of surface require more or less paint.

3. Move Anything That Can Be Moved

When you are painting the exterior of your home, you need to make sure that anything outside of your home that isn't your actual home exterior doesn't get painted.
If it's possible to move things, relocate them so that they won't possibly get any paint on them -- make sure that you have a place to put them.

4. Cover Anything That Cannot Be Moved Or Easily Cleaned

When you have things outside of your home that cannot be so easily moved (like a bed of roses, for example) you are best off covering those things so that those things don't get paint splattered onto them.
It's a lot easier to clean or dispose of a tarp than to try to remove paint from the surface of a rose, certainly.

5. Take Care Of The Pets So They Don't Get Hurt (Or Worse)

When you have a small furry friend -- whether that means you have an energetic puppy that loves to run around or even a happy cat that likes to get out on occasion, it's important to take measures so that they do not get hurt... or worse.
What this means is that you need to take measures to ensure that your pet remains indoors during the entire painting project from beginning to end, with exception being if you need to take a dog out for a walk -- but with good leash control, you can avoid the hazards that exist outside.
Just the possibility of a leash wrapping around one of your paint buckets and spreading the paint inside everywhere or even tugging down on the ladder... should get you thinking that you need to properly prepare and know how to best take care of your friend during the paint project.

6. Scraping And Sanding

If this isn't the first paint job on the house you're going to see loose and flaking paint in some areas.
The best thing you can do for this is to scrape the loose paint off and to properly sand those areas such that the surface of your house is even.

7. Prime Before Painting

It's important that you prime before you paint your house -- this means that you put on a coat of primer before you apply the first coat of paint -- and there is almost always more than one coat of paint.
The primer is useful as it helps the paint adhere to the exterior of your home.

Need some advice on a project? Illuminate Painting can help you with your painting needs. Schedule an estimate or call us at (325) 305-6005.

7 Things You Should Know About Using Spray paint in Southlake, TX


When you're painting your home, whether it is the interior or the exterior of your home, you might look for things to help you get the job done better.
Some would suggest that you could have a better time with your home painting if you use spray paint in order to paint your home.
There are some pros and cons to using spray paint when you're painting, which are good to bear in mind.

​With that in mind, let us look at and consider seven things you should know about using spray paint in Southlake, TX


1. There Is Special Paint For Painting Plastic

Though typically, it's not possible to paint plastic using spray paint, this is the case only with your typical spray paint.
There are spray paints that are specially made for painting plastics, which is a good thing if you are for example looking to paint a plastic fence.

2. Spray paint May Cost Less Over The Long Run

There are those who will tell you that spray painting is a bad idea because it costs more money than traditional buckets of paint.
This doesn't take into consideration the fact that time is an asset as well, and when you paint your home (your interior or exterior) with spray paint, it takes considerably less time to do so.
That being the case, it therefore costs less depending of course on how much you time is worth, so to speak.

3. Fifty Percent Overlap Is Ideal

As you paint with spray paint, you will end up overlapping to some extent -- the less you overlap, the greater the odds are that you will have some areas with heavier and some lighter coverage.
If you have a fifty percent overlap, on the other hand, and are able to consistently keep it that way, you will have a better paint job overall.

4. Parallel Moves Are Better Than Swinging Arcs

It may seem like a perfectly natural thing to swing your arm in a sort of arc as you are painting the interior or exterior of your home.
This will inevitably lead to some parts of your paint job being much more heavy in coverage, and others being considerably lighter.
The better approach is to do a consistent parallel movement as you are doing your interior or exterior paint job.

5. Prime Before Painting

Yes, it is necessary to even prime when it comes to spray painting your home interior or exterior.
There are spray paint primers that are available, and it is advisable to prime before you paint, even when you are spray painting.

6. Don't Spray Paint When It Is Too Cold

The ideal temperature range for painting with spray paint is between sixty and eighty or so degrees Fahrenheit.
Too low of a temperature and you will find that your paint will bubble -- and even worse, it's entirely possible that the paint will quite literally freeze on the surface of what you are painting, and that is not going to be good for any paint job.

7. Don't Go Cheap On Spray Paint

​If you find your spray paint in the dollar spot of your local store, you're very likely going to have a bad time when you are painting.
Such spray painting is bound to lead to bubbling in your coats of paint.
It's quite possible to correct bubbling once it occurs but it would be best to avoid them entirely.
You will do yourself a favor if you skip the cheap spray paint section entirely and go for only the kinds of spray paints that are more recommended by your local paint store or recommended online.​
  
​Need some advice on a project? Illuminate Painting can help you with your painting needs. Schedule an estimate or call us at (325) 305-6005.

7 Tips and Tricks For Painting Over Wallpaper in Coppell, TX

When you are looking to paint the interior walls of your home, you will on occasion come across walls that have wallpaper on them.

There is of course the option to remove the wallpaper entirely, but in some cases it is actually better to paint over the wallpaper than to try to remove it.

Specifically, if you have difficulty removing the wallpaper you might just find it easier to paint over it.

With that being the case, let us now look at seven tips and tricks for painting over wallpaper in Coppell, TX.

1. Make Sure It Actually Cannot Or Should Not Be Removed

Before you go through the process of painting over your wallpaper, you should make sure that you aren't able to paint over them.

You'll be able to tell that the wallpaper is better removed if you can see large parts of the corners just peeling off before you do anything.

If that is not the case, you will be sure that you should choose painting over the wallpaper instead.

2. Whatever Is Not Fully Stuck Down Should Be Fixed

If you see any slightly loose pieces that look like they are at all coming up, you should make sure that you get it fully down.

These may even be corners of the wallpaper that can be corrected in the form of being stuck down with adhesive.

It's good to get these stuck down so that your wall  will have the foundation of a smooth surface to begin with.

3. Clean Your Walls

The walls of your home should not be dirty at all when you are looking to paint them, perhaps even more so when you are painting over wallpaper.

The presence of dust and dirt will have be a sort of impediment to the painting process as you won't want to paint over the dust.

A good dish-washing soap coupled with a sponge and time will help get your walls clean.

4. Cover Seams Properly

The seams of the wallpaper will be quite visible unless you cover them properly.

The way that you will want to do that is to use a joint compound, which will entirely cover the seams.

After you have covered the seams, make sure that you sand them down such that you return the surface to being as smooth as possible.

5. Repair Damage And Sand Again

When you have a wall that has wallpaper on it, you will sometimes see that there are small holes that need to be taken care of in some manner.

The best thing you can do for the holes in the wallpaper is to use spackle to fill in the holes.

Once you have filled in the holes in the wallpaper, you will want to sand well to keep your surface smooth.

6. Use An Oil Based Sealer And Primer

An oil based sealer and primer will be the next step to painting over your wall.

Painting with an oil based sealer and primer is good as it will help facilitate the paint going onto the wallpaper. 

7. Paint The Wallpaper

Lastly, of course, you will actually paint your wallpaper.

Having prepared everything until this point this will be the easiest part of the process -- your primer having been given time to dry, you just need to put on the first coat of paint, wait, and then possibly put on a second coat of paint.

People often find that they will need a second coat of paint when they are painting over wallpaper.

​Need some advice on a project? Illuminate Painting can help you with your painting needs. Schedule an estimate or call us at (325) 305-6005.