Interior Painting Done Right

When most people think of interior painting the first thing that comes to mind is laying down a dropsheet and getting out the trays and going to town with a roller. Why? Because this is the simplest way of doing it for the average homeowner who has little or no experience. When you qualify an interior painter the first question you want to ask is simple: Do you roll or spray?

Spraying the interior? That’s crazy talk, paint will get everywhere!! …Unless it is done right. Before we get into how it is done right let’s talk about why spraying gives an advantage on interior painting. First, spraying gives a much thicker coat than rolling with half of the effort. Ever tried to paint an interior wall red with a roller? It could take upwards of 3-4 coats!!! When you spray on the interior you could have that wall any hue of red you want with 1-2 coats. Second, the consistency of the coat while rolling versus spraying makes a big difference. While rolling, you’ll notice that the roller itself has fine hairs on it which will actually drag through the paint as you’re applying it to the wall giving more texture than what was just on the drywall itself. Now, there are some professionals who are better at minimizing this but you will never get a perfectly consistent coat. When spraying, since there is nothing that actually touches the walls while painting so the coat comes out much smoother when the sprayer is handled by a professional.

But what about the paint everywhere? Okay, I’ll answer that now. The biggest key to any paint job will be…MASKING. Masking accounts for at least 80% of any good interior paint job. If your contractor doesn’t understand that concept, it’s time to find a new one. The very last thing you want is paint on your carpet, or furniture, or that fancy grandfather clock that has been handed down through generations that is irreplaceable. Think of it this way, would you be more comfortable with the contractor who lays down one dropsheet under the wall getting done or the one who puts plastic around your entire room covering all surfaces that aren’t getting painted?

Just remember, next time you look at getting your interior painted just remember the most important question: Do you spray or roll?