Chronicles of Collegeville:The Brush, the paint and the ladder. (a.k.a) Home Painting Tips from one novice to another.

Long long ago, there was a couple who believed that they could paint their house. They had never painted before but the lure of TLC and HGTV was too difficult to resist and the ladder and paint beckoned to them when they decided to move into a new house. Little did they know how hard it would be. Painting is hard, tiring, agonizingly long but most of all, a whole lot of fun. It was not this easy, when a partly painted house (a bad color at that) and an unpainted rest was what they started with. Along the way, they learnt a lot of things that they believe should be shared with all those other novices out there who, being the foolish romantics, think they too can. Here are some of those pearls of painting wisdom for you.

1. First off, HGTV and TLC are overrated for the most part. Yet, amidst all the unwanted stuff, there are some vignettes of wisdom you could do with. So start watching it if you intend ever painting your house or apartment.

2. The bargain bin in Borders, Barnes and Nobles and their smaller siblings (Borders Express, Brentanos, etc.) are excellent places to find cheap, colorful and extremely heavy tomes on painting ideas. Like their TV counterparts, these guides are filled with a whole lot of unwanted stuff but have some hidden gems you could start your project with.

3. When you decide to paint, plan your colors well in advance. A sampler (to-go) pack doesnt hurt. Lowes, Home Depot and Sherwin Williams keep coming with promotions to save 20-30% off on paints. Look for the ads. Spend your time visiting all the aforementioned stores and looking at their average prices, color selection and availability. In general, the more personal effort and money you spend, the better will be your final paint result.

4. Be prepared to experiment. Be creative. Its your house for Gods sake. Do what you feel like. Not what the world feels is the way a room should look. You are going to live there and the sense of accomplishment is all the more when you do it your way.

5. Dont ever scrimp on quality of paint, brushes, or rollers. They make a BIG difference. Trust the ones who have learnt it the hard way. Look at it this way. By conservative estimates, you are saving atleast $250 dollars a room (for a small one) by painting it yourself. You owe it to the room and the final look to give it the best of best. And the difference in cost is not more than 10-15% between the average and the best of supplies. Why be penny wise and pound foolish?

6. Dont forget to buy a lot of rags and kitchen towels and drop cloth (both canvas and polythene). They are truly invaluable. Also, having a gallon of primer (both the white and gray versions for light and dark colors) helps. A good ladder never goes waste.

7. Buy a lot of rollers. Roller reuse is bad idea. Even after a great wash, the quality of roller is so bad that it doubles your effort when you reuse it. Not to mention a wall with white spots all around. Having a couple of roller poles/extenders is also a good idea. It reduces your effort big time.

8. If you havent moved into a house, plan as much as possible to paint before moving or before loading the room with stuff. Its infinitely more difficult to paint with things around the room.

9. On the day of painting, be prepared to do this and nothing else. Painting is very tiring and strenuous. If you have back pain of any sort, be prepared for more at the end of the day.
Before the actual paint job, have the rags, a bucket of water, some kitchen towels, and spare everything at hands reach. Disposable gloves are a God send. Have enough of them around. They are cheap and universally available.

10. Be prepared to order in or cook in advance. You are not going to be able to do both painting and a lunch.

11. Make sure you either have your phone closeby or switch it off. Rushing to get the phone in the midst of painting, results in a whole lot of problems ranging from an irritated fellow painter to paint stains on the floor, wall or possible your phone and what not.

12. Eat well before and between the painting effort. Have some soda around. It really gives you a refreshing feel amidst the paint job.

13. The smell of paint can be overwhelming for very many. Either stay away from it or have your favorite headache pill around. Trust me. You'll need it.

14. Painting thrives on preparation. Every minute spent in preparation is 10 minutes saved while actually painting.

15. Painting is a fun job especially for couples. Be prepared for a tough day but never lose your sense of humor. There is nothing worse than a foul mood and a paint job. They almost never go together.

Many of the tips above are from the tens of books we consumed as part of the learning process and the hours spent watching various programs on TV. I have tried to summarise them to save you the time. The sense of accomplishment you get after seeing your handiwork is priceless. That alone is worth all the effort.

Enjoy your painting !