Painting is a DIY project that just about anyone can master. Even if you’re a seasoned painter, though, you’re bound to encounter tricky or difficult-to-reach areas occasionally.
Fortunately, there are some easy tricks that anyone can use to paint these areas with excellent results. Here are pro tips for addressing three common problem areas.
Check out this video for a demo of each tip described below. Watch more home entertaining and design videos, and subscribe to make sure you don’t miss the next Zillow video.
Painting window trim
Sometimes it’s a real challenge to paint window muntins (the wood diving panes of glass) and sashes neatly, and it will be time-consuming if you try to mask out the glass with painter’s tape first.
Here’s a timesaving solution: Go ahead and throw out your painter’s tape!
This is one time when it simply doesn’t matter if your paint job is a bit messy. It’s ok to get paint on the window glass. Just wait for the paint to dry, and then scrape it off easily with a razor blade, for clean, crisp edges.
Pro tip: For best results, scrape up the dried paint soon after it dries, and don’t let it sit for more than a day or so.
Painting behind the toilet
Bathrooms have more tight areas than most rooms, and perhaps the most challenging of all is the space behind the toilet.
This is where a “hot dog” roller comes in. It works just like a regular paint roller, only it’s smaller, narrower and shorter. This is the best tool for painting behind the toilet, but it’s also the perfect tool for painting behind radiators and other fixtures.
In fact, you may find all kinds of tight spaces that your hot dog roller can reach that might have been a real challenge to paint without it.
Pro tip: If you need a longer handle on the roller to get into a particularly tight or high space, you can screw on an extension pole to provide the right amount of reach to get your hot dog roller into the space.
Painting high ceilings and walls
There may be some high areas in your home where a ladder simply can’t go, such as above a staircase. And when you need to paint a wall right up to the ceiling, it’s going to be a challenge.
Perhaps in the past you’ve tried attaching a paintbrush to a pole to reach these high areas. But that can be very awkward, and you might end up creating a mess.
Enter the paintbrush extension tool. Think of it as an extension of your arm, holding your paintbrush right up to the top of the wall in the area where a roller can’t go. And it’s flexible, so you can position your paintbrush in just the right way.
Pro tip: Load your paintbrush judiciously, using less paint than you would if you were painting the wall in front of you. This is one job where you’ll want to take your time to get neat and drip-free results.
Painting high spaces, window trim, and areas behind fixtures are just a few of the areas that might present a challenge when you’re giving your room a makeover with a new paint color.
Follow these tips for painting in tricky areas, and you’ll be amazed at how easy it is to get professional-looking results in your own home.
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