Avoid and correct wall painting mistakes

How to avoid and fix wall painting mistakes when painting most? Painting your own house is fun, but mistakes are inevitable.

Here's how to avoid them so you can paint like a pro or fix mistakes if they've already been made…

oops! Don't despair, most painting mistakes are fairly easy to prevent and fix.

The most common painting mistakes

Dripping paint

Of all the painting mistakes, dripping paint is one of the most common. Everyone wants a smooth surface when painting their walls, so paint dripping down your walls is not ideal.

Avoid: Don't dip your paintbrush too far into the paint or you'll get too much paint on it. This will cause the excess paint to drip down your walls.

Correction: Use a scraper to carefully scrape off any dried paint drips, then sand the area until smooth and repaint the area.

If you wanted a pattern on your wall, you would probably go with wallpaper instead of a coat of paint. However, if the ridges are alligator-like, you will end up with a cracked, alligator-scale pattern on your painted wall.

Avoid: Don't apply a hard or rigid coat instead of a more flexible coat. It's also important not to apply a top coat before your primer has dried properly.

Correction: Remove old paint by scraping and sanding the surface. Prime the surface with a high quality primer and paint with the best quality paint available.

Brush marks

A good painter should leave no evidence of brush strokes. Unless that's an effect you're looking for, getting your walls as smooth as possible is always the goal.

Avoid: Do not overload your paintbrush or use poor painting techniques.
Fix: Sand the area (machine sanding will be the quickest) and then repaint the area.

Bubbling

Blisters occur when bubbles (caused by localized loss of adhesion) lift the paint film from below the surface.

Avoid: Do not paint on a hot surface in direct sunlight or apply oil-based or alkyd paint to a damp/wet surface. If possible, avoid exposing your paint to high humidity or rain shortly after the paint has dried.

Correction: If the bubbles go down, try to eliminate the source of moisture (for example, install air vents or exhaust fans). If the bubbles do not go down to the substrate, scrape them off, sand the surface, use primer and repaint with high-quality paint.

Stains

Stains don't go unnoticed. And unfortunately, like with clothing stains, there are no quick fixes for painting stains out.

Avoid: If you properly prime areas before painting, you can prevent stains from appearing.
Correction: Clean the area thoroughly, allow it to dry, apply a primer over the stain, allow it to dry and paint the stained area.
cracking

Cracking is the separation of a dry paint film. It usually begins as hairline cracks and worsens over time.

Avoid: Do not use a low quality paint that does not have good adhesion and flexibility properties, do not thin the paint too much, make sure you have adequately prepared the surface and do not paint in cool or windy conditions as this will cause the paint to dry too quickly.
Correction: Scrape off loose paint with a scraper or wire brush, sand the area until it's smooth again (this may take a long time), apply primer and repaint.

Fading

Your wall may appear shiny for a moment, but then prematurely lighten. This is usually the result of too much sun exposure or chalking of the paint layer.

Avoid: Do not use interior paint for exterior application, do not use low-quality paint, try not to paint with colors that are particularly sensitive to UV radiation and do not over-color an already light or medium paint base.

Correction: Repainting is the best way to fix the problem, but remove the chalk first. Make sure you use high-quality paint and colors that are appropriate for the area.

Surface cleaning

Peeling paint occurs when there is poor adhesion.

Avoid: Try not to paint surfaces that have moisture problems and do not use poor quality paint.
Correction: First, identify and eliminate the source of moisture. Then prepare the surface for repainting by removing loose paint, sanding the area, and priming. Repaint with a high-quality, water-resistant paint.

What painting mistakes have you encountered and how do you prevent and/or correct them?