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5 Drywall Finishing and Residential Painting Tips

Drywall Finishing Residential Painting

Any great residential painting job starts with drywall finishing. As they say, the devil is in the details. Albaugh & Sons, located in Frederick, can help.

In today’s do-it-yourself (DIY) world, more and more homeowners are taking it upon themselves to undertake various home improvement projects, from unclogging the sink to repairing drywall. While this can certainly help save a few dollars, it can be a little frustrating at times. Okay, a lot frustrating! The professionals in those YouTube videos make it looks so easy, but no matter how hard you try, you can just never seem to produce the same results. This is perhaps never truer than when it comes to drywall finishing and residential painting. You apply layer after layer of spackle and sand for hours and never manage to get those clean lines and smooth finishes that they do in the videos. It’s enough to make you scream.

5 Drywall Finishing and Residential Painting Tips

Any great residential painting job starts with drywall finishing. As they say, the devil is in the details. If you do not properly spackle and sand, your new coat of paint is doomed before it ever touches the drywall.

1) Prepare the Drywall

It all starts with the drywall. The drywall must be tight against the walls studs or ceiling joists and your seams must be snug. A tight seam is best but a slight gap is acceptable. Large gaps are simply harder to fill. All screws must also be countersunk.

2) You Need the Right Tools

  • Mic the Mud: Your drywall mud must be the right consistency. Sometimes you need to add a little water (not too much!). You are looking for a consistency similar to creamy cake icing.
  • Don’t Forget the Tape: One cannot rely on spackle alone. You should use drywall tape at any seam, including corners. You have two options – paper tape or self-adhesive mesh tape. The choice is yours. Both work well.
  • Putty Knife: Make sure you have putty knives of various lengths. This will make your life a lot easier.

3) Be Patient with Corners

Corners can be difficult and one big mistake homeowners make is to try and second coat both sides of a corner at the same time. This can only lead to disaster.

4) No One’s Perfect

Don’t expect your spackle to lie perfectly. That’s why you will need to sand. As long as there are no craters or large globs of spackle, you will be fine. Get everything as smooth as you can and then smooth the rest when you start sanding.

5) When in Doubt, Hire a Professional Contractor

When you want to improve the look of your home and property, you need to hire experienced craftsmen who provide excellent service and use quality materials. If you want a professional finish, you need to hire a professional. It’s that simple/

Albaugh & Sons is a Home Improvement Contractor, Specializing in Residential Painting

Albaugh & Sons is a family business located in Frederick County that takes pride in the services we provide for our customers. Our specialties include installing fences, decks, and remodeling, as well as interior and exterior residential painting.

Receive a FREE Estimate!

The estimate you receive for your project is not only competitive; it is extremely accurate. You will not encounter hidden charges or “extras.”

If you are looking for a Residential Painting Contractor in Frederick County, Maryland, you’ve found them! Please contact Albaugh & Sons by calling 301-964-9379. Whether it’s painting, fence installation, or any other service we offer, the Albaugh & Sons team will get the job done right!

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This entry was posted on Friday, September 11th, 2015 at 5:22 pm. Both comments and pings are currently closed.