Painting Mistakes

The 4 Biggest Painting Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)

Painting can be easy, if you avoid these common mistakes.

By Roy Berendsohn

GETTY IMAGES/CHRISTOPH NEIJENHUIS / EYEEM

Paint is a necessary ingredient that makes a house your home. But with tones of paints, brushes, and surfaces—not to mention picking the right color—it can be easy to overlook a small detail and end up with a less than perfect paint job.


But if you try to avoid these four common mistakes, you're on your way to putting down a fresh coat that will make you proud.

Mistake #1: Using the Wrong Tool

GETTY IMAGES/SUTIPORN SOMNAM

People often use the wrong tool because they don’t know which tool is correct. Rollers and brushes are meant for specific kinds of finishes to be applied over specific surfaces, from rough to smooth.

Rollers: the smoother the roller, the smoother the surface it is meant to be applied to and the smoother the paint it is supposed to leave.

These are mini rollers, but the same applies to standard paint rollers. For example, this is a smooth-to-medium-surface roller, this one is a smooth-to-semi-smooth-surface roller, and this one is a smooth-surface roller.

It can be difficult to sort out paintbrushes, so some simple rules help. The stiffer the brush, the cleaner the line it will cut and the more paint you can hold with it. This is especially helpful when painting exterior trim in the summertime, when the brush will start to sag from the paint and the weather. The tradeoff is that a stiffer brush will have a tendency to flick paint, and especially stain, which can make a mess.

This one is a good stiff brush with an angled tip to help it get into corners, and this medium brush straddles both painting options.

Softer brushes, like this one, are better for stains and clear finishes, like varnish, spar varnish, shellac, and brushing lacquers.

Mistake #2: Skipping the Primer
People are confused by paint today because they're often marketed as paint and primers in one. These are fine for light-duty applications over which there is an existing coat of paint that is clean and not glossy. Otherwise, use a primer when you paint to increase bond, improve the surface finish of the top coat, and improve the bond to difficult substrate.

Here are four examples. For bare drywall, use a PVA (polyvinyl acetate) paint, seal over stains and hide colors with a high-hiding primer sealer, and for painting bare steel make sure to get paint with anodic zinc protection to inhibit rust. Finally, if you need to seal over knots or cover smoke damage and odor, this kind of paint works best.

Mistake #3: Using the Wrong Paint

GETTY IMAGES/ALYSSA STASIUKONIS / EYEEM

Some paints are labeled for interior and exterior use, and others are labeled only for interior. Pay close attention, especially when shopping at a serve-yourself location or online.

Mistake #4: Having Lousy Surface Prep
Paint sticks well to a clean, lightly abraded surface—it’s that simple. If the surface is dirty, clean it with an all-purpose cleaner, especially one that’s good at removing grease. Dirtex has been a favorite with painters for generations.

Use the spray for general cleaning, use the powder dissolved in hot water for high-strength cleaning, and use an abrasive paper such as 3M Sandblaster for sanding between paint coats or taking the shine off enameled surfaces.