5 Common Interior Painting Problems and How to Fix Them

Painting a few walls may seem like an easy task–just load up your brush or roller, paint a few stripes, let it dry and you’re done, right? Actually, interior painting takes a great deal more preparation and skill than simply slapping on a coat or two if you want it to result in smooth, evenly coated walls. Even with diligent planning and careful application, amateur and professional painters may find they run into a problem now and again. To prepare you for your new paint job, here are the 5 most common interior painting problems and how to fix them.

1. Brush Streaks. If you’re unfamiliar with the proper application of interior paint, you may find your walls looking streaky or patchy once the paint has dried. These streak marks can be even more prominent on natural wood surfaces, especially if you use irregular brush strokes. To eliminate these unsightly patches, lightly sand down the affected area and brush off the dust, then paint over it using regular, even brush strokes.

2. Paint Drips. You may think you’re doing well by heavily loading your brush with paint so that you are left with a nice, thick coat; but overload your brush or roller, and there’s a good chance you’ll be left with paint drips. To get rid of them, use a scraper to scrape them up, and lightly sand the area. Finally, repaint over the sanded patch.

3. Paint Wrinkles. If you apply a new coat of paint to your wall before the previous coat has had time to dry completely, you may find you’re left with wrinkled, ridged paint. As they say, “haste makes waste,” and this issue takes a good deal of work and revision to leave you with a smooth, clean wall. To eliminate the wrinkles, you should completely strip the paint, then sand down the area and reapply your pigment.

4. Visible Stains. You may have thought your walls were clean before you started painting, but if they have smoke damage or your primer was not properly applied, you may wind up with large, noticeable stains on your walls. To eliminate them, clean the affected area with trisodium phosphate. Once it’s dry, apply a stain blocker to the area, and finally, repaint it.

5. White Patches. Similar to the common issue of brush streaks, white patches in painted walls are the result of unfamiliarity with proper application–in this case, applying the wrong number of coats, or allowing paint to build up on the edges of the roller. If you have any ridges from buildup, sand those down before applying additional coats of paint until the topcoat matches the surface.

These issues are all fairly common and easy to repair. However, revisions do cost time and money. When you’re ready to give your home a fresh new look, selecting a team of professional painters in Orlando can help you ensure that the job is done right the first time. The painting crew at New Ceilings, Inc. is dedicated to your satisfaction and a job well done. Call us at (407) 378-6040 to receive your free quote today.