Painting a Room: 6 Pro Tips To Take the Pain Out Of It

EVEN ACCOMPLISHED DIY-ers and veteran home-improvement wizards find paint projects so demanding and exasperating they outsource them to pros. Still, said Portland, Ore., painter Mike Snelson, “there are things that can be done to mitigate the frustration.” Preparation, for one. “This is probably where most homeowners get lost because prep takes patience,” he said. Here, six other pro tips to make your next project less arduous.

1. Create a buffer zone

The maestros recommend at least 3 feet of elbow room between the wall and any obstacles. Stack furniture in the centre of the room (think chairs and small tables upside down on a sofa). If the pile becomes unruly, two smaller heaps work just as well. “Cover the stack with heavyweight canvas,” said Twin Cities painter Nick Slavik. Added James Greenwood, paint and colour specialist with Graham & Brown, “Tape the canvas down for extra protection from splashes.”

2. Protect doorknobs…

…lest they get unintentionally splattered. Mr. Slavik’s prophylactic? Slip a plastic bag over the hardware, then tape the edges. In the case of an awkwardly shaped handle, “try aluminium foil,” said Mr. Greenwood.

3. Bag fixtures

Remove any glass, including bulbs, from hanging light fixtures. Unscrew the decorative plate and slide it down the chain, then wrap and tape all components with a plastic bag.

4. Tint white primer

For a more vibrant finish, shade the primer close to, but not darker than, the top coat’s colour, explained Mr. Slavik. For bright hues like reds and yellows, primer tinged with grey will ensure uniform coverage, he said.

5. Use efficient extension poles

“It takes time to move ladders around and to get up and down them,” said Dave Rychley, president of national franchiser 360 Painting. A pole extends your roller, and you needn’t bend down to load it up again. “It will save your back, shoulders and legs,” said Mr. Slavik.

6. Skip cleanup

Yes, really. When you quit for the day, keep paintbrushes and rollers from drying out by wrapping them tightly in a plastic bag or plastic wrap, said Nicole Gibbons, founder of online paint store Clare. Then secure them with a rubber band or masking tape. Keep the swaddled tools in a cool place—the refrigerator works perfectly.

Australian social circles are shrinking as more people look for ways to keep a lid on spending, a new survey has found.

New research from Finder found more than one fifth of respondents had dropped a friend or reduced their social circle because they were unable to afford the same levels of social activity. The survey questioned 1,041 people about how increasing concerns about affordability were affecting their social lives. The results showed 6 percent had cut ties with a friend, 16 percent were going out with fewer people and 26 percent were going to fewer events.

Expensive events such as hens’ parties and weddings were among the activities people were looking to avoid, indicating younger people were those most feeling the brunt of cost of living pressures. According to Canstar, the average cost of a wedding in NSW was between $37,108 to $41,245 and marginally lower in Victoria at $36, 358 to $37,430.

But not all age groups are curbing their social circle. While the survey found that 10 percent of Gen Z respondents had cut off a friend, only 2 percent of Baby Boomers had done similar.

Money expert at Finder, Rebecca Pike, said many had no choice but to prioritise necessities like bills over discretionary activities.

“Unfortunately, for some, social activities have become a luxury they can no longer afford,” she said.