DIY Dilemmas: Three Easy Ways To Prevent Painting Mishaps

DIYing is a messy business, especially if paint is involved. If you are not careful, you will end up with paint everywhere, and on everything. Paint is one of the worst substances to clean up. Water-based paints are, in theory, easier to clean up than oil-based paints, but don’t expect your carpets to look pristine if you accidentally spill a tub of paint on them. There will be a stain. A BIG one.

The key to avoiding expensive painting mishaps is to protect everything that is not being painted. Even you!

Protect Floors

Protecting your floors needs to be a top priority. After all, they cover your entire house. A floor mishap in one room and easily be tracked throughout the whole house.

There are several ways you can protect your floors from paint. The cheapest is to throw down some old blankets or curtains and hope for the best. You will need a TON of them if you are painting a large room. Also, be careful not to trip on them. They can easily bunch up and cause you to fall. Or you can do what the pros do and buy a roll of floor protection paper.

Builders’ paper is an easy-to-use roll of heavy-duty Kraft paper. Roll it out and tape up the seams to prevent dust and paint from reaching the underlying floor. If you will be painting a staircase or hallway, use rosin paper.  It's thicker and more suited for high-traffic areas.

Be sure to pay attention to detail when laying floor protection paper. Tape up any awkward corners and don’t leave so much as an inch of the floor showing. You don't want any paint sneaking through!

Protect Doors

Unless you are planning to replace or paint your doors, they will need protecting from paint splatters too. Solid wood doors can be sanded down and re-varnished if you accidentally splash paint, but this is an unnecessary hassle.

Door sleeves are a quick and easy way to protect doors from paint splatter. Slide the protector over your and walla your door is safe from paint damage. Door frame protectors are also available and can save you a headache too.

Alternatively, you can tape up doors with heavy-duty paper and masking tape or hang a plastic sheet over the door.

Protect Yourself

Don’t forget to protect your clothes, hair, and skin. Invest in coveralls to protect your clothes. Wear plastic gloves and a hat to keep paint out of your hair. It is also a good idea to wear an old pair of shoes for painting. 

If you can’t stand the thought of wearing plastic gloves, pull on some cotton gloves instead and protect your hands with a heavy-duty barrier cream. This will make the paint that seeps through easier to clean up at the end of the day.

Take off your painting shoes at the threshold of the room to avoid tracking paint from one room to another. Shoe covers and trap mats are also good at keeping paint contained.

Remember to take your time when prepping a room for painting. Think of everywhere paint might get and cover it up. Rushing this stage is only going to lead to misery later. A messy, paint dilemma!