Does it really make a difference when painting a wall...?

Question

to start with a "w" and work from there? I saw this on hgtv and I didnt know if it just came out better or used less paint or what???

Answer 1

Painting....is the easiest and cheapest way of creating a better living space and protecting ourselves and our home.....it also seems to be the most misunderstood function a homeowner can take on. Some basic rules of thumb to make the job easier for inside or outside painting are;

1)When estimating amount of paint needed, measure the walls length and height, multiply them and get the total square footage. For instance, if the wall height is 7.5 feet, always round up for ease of math to 8 and if the wall is 10 feet long, that’s 80 square feet. Now if the room has four equal walls, that’s an easy equation, just take 80 x 4 and forget the windows and door ways, just keep it simple and multiply to get the total square footage of the walls, and in this case it’s 320 sf. If the ceiling is to be painted, measure the wall length on the short and long walls. A 15 by 20 room would be 300 sf, a 10 x 10 room would be 100 square feet. So, a 10 x10 room with 8 foot high walls would equal 320 sf of wall surface and 100 sf of ceiling, that’s a total of 420 square feet of surface to paint. Each paint manufacturer lists on the can how many square feet of coverage you can expect per gallon. Using that information and the fact that no matter how you paint, you’ll always need two coats, then you will need two gallons for the 10 x 10 room in the example.
2)When painting against moldings or door and window trim, tape the joint with blue tape. Make sure to burnish the tape so it sticks well. Do this to the entire area you have taped. Then, using some acrylic/latex caulking, put a thin bead on the edge of the tape where it meets the trim. Smooth it out ensuring good coverage and let it dry, usually for a bout 2 hours. Once it is dry, paint the edge covering the tape and the caulking. When you’re finished painting, remove the tape and you’ll have a perfectly trimmed molding, door or window casing.
3)When painting with a roller, use a roller pan and load your roller often and keep it full of paint. A big mistake a lot of people make is not using enough paint. Load up your roller or brush with paint constantly. As far as a W pattern, the pattern doesn't matter as long as you get a good even coat. Up and down, overlapping is the key. If you’re thinking you want to minimize the amount of paint you’re going to use to save moeny, remember, they won’t take a premixed color back if you have any leftover, so you might as well use it all! You’ll find it a lot easier to paint if you keep your brush or roller full.
4)Cutting in with a brush is a difficult task for many people to master. A general rule of thumb is to keep your brush full of paint and drag the bristles across the edge of your work creating a bead of paint that moves with the bristles. It’s difficult to do, but with a little practice on the wall before you paint, you can create some nice straight lines. But if you just can’t get it down, try the tip above.
5)Always prime outside bare wood. This cannot be stressed enough. Whether it is a fence, a shed or the house, any outside wood, especially non-pressure treated wood MUST be primed first. The primer penetrates the surface of the wood and bonds to the wood best. I prefer an oil based primer, then a latex top coat. And remember, once the wood is primed, you only have a couple of weeks to get a top coat on the surface, check with the manufacturer and read the label. One last note, priming over existing paint is a waste of time and money. Primer is made for bare wood.
6)A good acrylic/latex caulk and lightweight spackle are a best friend for those painting a room. The caulking can be used to fill in unsightly joints and cracks, equal to or less than ¼”. And spackle can be used to fill in nails holes and also as a gap filler. Scraping the walls with a 6 in metal drywall knife is a good practice too, removing bumps and peeled paint.

I hope this information is valuable and helps you. I can be reached at [e-mail] if you have any further questions.

Answer 2

The idea is to paint in opposite diagonals to better distribute the paint. I paint more in a slight "X" shape and depending on whether I am using a roller or brush may give a final pass in either a vertical direction or with the grain if it is a piece of wood. All this does is to prevent a heavy pass of paint in one area. By working at slight diagonals you can spread it around better. I've never consciously used anything like a "W". My final pass is all in one direction though.

Answer 3

Yes, it makes a difference.

Most walls have a texture on them. If you roll straight up and down you run the risk of missing or not properly covering one side of some of the bumps in the texture. These little unpainted holes are known as "vacations". Painting in a "W" will reduce the number of vacations that you have to touch up later.

Answer 4

I've painted every room in my house and the "w" makes no difference. Just make sure you get good even coverage and use good high quality paint and rollers and you'll be fine. Also, let the paint dry good in between coats.

Answer 5

My husband works in construction. He says all the professional painters he sees start at the top or bottom and paint in a straight line. They never make the W's.

Answer 6

the reason we paint a w shape on the wall is to spread the paint out. that is the only reason.

Answer 7

The purpose of the "W" technique is quick coverage. By doing so you hit the same areas at different angles and get better coverage.

Answer 8

My dad is a painter/paper hanger, and most of his brothers, cousins, and uncles are painters. I've never seen a professional home painter use the "W" -- but do whatever works best for you.