Even serious DIY lovers can encounter problems when it comes to drywall taping. This is especially the case when the process involves working with corners. You need the inside corners of the drywall to look just as pleasing as the rest of your wall. But getting that proper finish requires some skill.

We will help you improve your technique as you prepare for a drywall project. Here are common drywall installation mistakes you should avoid.

Using Drywall Mud with The Wrong way

If you are relying on using pre-mixed compound as it is, you are bound to encounter problems along the way. Make sure the compound has a good consistency and avoid using it when it’s too thick. You can always add a little water in pre-mixed compound. Using the thick compound can cause bubbles to form and the tape will not stick properly on the wall. If the compound is too thin it will cause the tape to tear whenever you

Applying Too Much Mud

The amount of mud that you put will determine how smooth the finish becomes. When you apply too much the tape ends up getting too wet and rips off. When the compound is too little, the tape doesn’t embed on the joint well. You can press the tape to squeeze out any excess mud before applying the final coat.

Applying Too Much Pressure When Pressing The Compound

It’s important to be very gentle when spreading the compound beneath the tape. When you apply a lot of pressure on the knife you will end up moving the tape or even cause it to tear. The tape binds well when you smoothen the mud gently.

Using The Wrong Knife

You need knives of different widths depending on the task at hand. For instance, if you want to get rid of bumps and ridges a small knife of 6” would work. However, to spread the final coat you may need a wider knife of 12 – 16”. Working with the right knife makes your work easier and also gives you a nice and smooth finish.

Framing Locations

some people tend to guess with this when you really shouldn’t. Try marking the framing location prior to covering it with the drywall. You will definitely have a difficult time putting in the screws correctly. A good method is to make marks and have them as a guideline so you can pencil in a line across. That way you should be able to screw in the screws quickly and correctly.

Always mark the location of ceiling joists on the top of the wall framing before you mark the center of every stud on the floor below. Take this into consideration with any different framing so you know exactly where to screw in screws once you’ve covered it with drywall. Then, once the ceiling drywall is up you can mark the stud locations right on the ceiling using a pencil prior to doing the rest of the drywall installation.

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avoid mistakes encountered on a regular basis during ceramic tile installations.

Get ready and prepare the surface

One of the most common reasons for failure is lack of proper surface preparation. For example, taking precautions to avoid contamination, cleaning the area and preparing the surface will take extra time, but will significantly reduce the chances of failure.

Like most things, good preparation is the key to doing a job well – and this definitely applies to installing tiles. Whether you’re tiling walls or floors, failing to do the right preparation to the surface before you begin tiling is one of the most common pitfalls and is guaranteed to leave you with a less than satisfactory finish.

When installing tiles, surfaces should be level and clean. This means spending time filling in any cracks or dents or sanding down any bumps that are bigger than 4-5mm. If the surface is particularly uneven, you can apply a new top surface such as plasterboard for walls or a self-levelling screed to floors. You should also remove any protruding features such as screws or nails.

In terms of cleaning, wipe up any grease, oil or other liquids and sweep (or vacuum) up loose dust and debris. If you skip the cleaning groundwork you could affect the performance of your tile adhesive in the long run.

Depending on the surface you’re tiling onto, you may need to do additional preparation with primer solutions to ensure your adhesive fully takes to the surface.

For freshly plastered drywall, allow the surface to dry for at least 4 weeks then apply a primer solution

For wooden surfaces, you should use a polyurethane-based paint to prime the area

For tiling existing tiled areas, you can either remove the tiles then re-skim the surface or simply tile directly onto them,

Use the right adhesive it is the best choice

Too often, adhesive products are purchased based on cost factors alone. Various types of adhesives are made for different applications. For example, one adhesive may work well on smaller tile but will not effectively adhere well to large tiles.

Protect the surface before start

Floors are often completed before other construction around them is finished. It is important to remember that the floor can be damaged and grout can stain. Take cautions to make sure that the floor is protected and that the finished product stays intact and in pristine condition.

Not ordering enough tiles

With any DIY project it can be difficult to calculate exactly how many materials you’ll need, but not ordering enough tiles is nothing short of a nightmare. It will cost you more in both time and labor to get the job done and tile colors and designs can vary batch to batch. This means you may not get an exact match even if you buy the same tiles at a later date. Or worse, they could be discontinued, leaving you high and dry for good.

One of the main reasons for a tile shortfall often comes down to inaccurate measurements or not allowing extra tiles for breakages, cuts or any other unforeseen mishaps along the way. To overcome this, the first place to start is to nail down the measurements of your area and calculate how many square meters you need.

To do this multiply the length by the width – using the largest measurements if the area isn’t a standard shape

You may end up with some tiles left over, but they’re always handy to have as replacements and could potentially be used for another DIY project elsewhere.

Not planning the layout

Another common tiling mistake people make is not planning the layout or pattern for their tiles before attaching them to the wall or floor. It may seem like extra work to layout your design mockup beforehand, but it is definitely worthwhile. For one, it will help you calculate how many tile cuts are needed (and whether you have ordered enough to offset these) and confirm you have the right size tiles for the area.

if you’re using the same, single color tiles or patterned versions, don’t let poor planning be your downfall. Take the time to lay out your designs before you apply any adhesive to make sure you’re happy with how it will look. This also gives you the opportunity to play around with the design or pattern before they’re permanently fixed to the wall.

Crooked Tiles

Unless the design calls for something else, such as a complex mosaic pattern, tiles should fall in line with each other. Crooked tiles can occur for a number of reasons.

The grout may have been spread unevenly, or tile guy may have neglected to use spacers, to hold the tiles in place as the grout cured. Wall tiles that sag in certain areas may lack sufficient support. Installing a board for support can solve the problem, but the tiling will have to be re-done.

In other cases, the angle of your tiles might have nothing to do with the way they were installed. Water damage from a leak, damage from insects or overall deterioration in the wall behind the tile can weaken the grout and allow the tiles to slip out of place.

Excess Grout

Remove excess grout and do the right cleaning on the surface

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As professional painting contractors in Long Island – New York, we’ve seen many common mistakes people make when interior painting. Whether it’s because they’re eager to get that beautiful new color on the walls or they just want to get the job done fast, these painting blunders can end up costing more in the long run.

Adding a fresh coat of paint is a quick and easy way to update a room and give it a fresh look. But often the painting project most people think will only take a Saturday afternoon ends up taking much longer and being more stressful than anticipated, only to get results that aren’t quite what they imagined. There are a number of mistakes people make when painting that can seriously impact the outcome of the project.

Before you get in into your painting work, please get familiar with these common mistakes people make when interior painting so that you can avoid them and enjoy your home’s transformation for a long time.

Most common painting mistakes

Not calculating Enough hours for the Job.

You may say, this is easy to do, especially when you’re feeling especially ambitious at the start of the project. The truth though is, it often can take longer than you expect, especially if you want to do a neat job. Keep in mind that you need to include prep work, possibly multiple coats, and clean up time in your estimate.

• errors people make when interior painting
• Neglecting to prepare the Space.

This ranks high in the common mistakes people make when interior painting. One of the most time-consuming parts of painting is getting the area ready. That is probably why people tend to skip over it. But properly prepping the room makes the project go much more smoothly and creates a better finished product. If you want a project to look professional, you have to prepare like professionals do. Before painting, walls should be cleaned so that you are not mixing dust and cobwebs into your wall’s paint. Cracks and holes should be filled and patched, flaking and peeling paint should be removed, and areas may need to be retextured.

Use professional-quality painters’ tape around any doors, windows, or edges, and make sure the paint is firmly attached to the walls to keep the lines clean.

Skipping the Tape.

This is such an important step in the prep work. Taping ensures straight lines and helps prevent accidentally painting surfaces that you are not intending to paint (trim, door knobs, etc.). For some areas, you may want to remove fixtures and hardware instead of trying to tape around them perfectly.

Unintentionally Making a Mess

Even with the painting surface completely prepared, there are still other areas to think about. People commonly only think about the area they are painting and end up with paint messes everywhere. Clear out the entire area and make sure the whole work zone is protected. Cover the floor with a drop cloth, and also cover things like countertops, ceiling fans, and light fixtures. No matter how careful you are, there is always a risk of spilling paint or making a mess if the area is not properly covered. Plus, it’s much easier to spread a preventative drop cloth than it is to clean paint splatters from the carpet.

Using Low-Quality Materials.

Just like with all home repairs, you get what you pay for when it comes to paint. Although paint is an inexpensive way to update a room, it doesn’t mean you should skimp out and buy the cheapest materials possible. Spend a little more on higher quality paint for rooms like bathrooms, laundry rooms, and kitchens.

And don’t forget about the other painting supplies—low-quality and inexpensive brushes and rollers can ruin perfectly good paint and make the project more difficult and take much longer. Cheaper brushes are more likely to lose bristles while you are painting, leaving them in your paint or on your walls. They’re more likely to lose their shape and make painting more challenging. Cheap rollers can soak up paint, leave lines, and create uneven paint coverage, as can lower quality brushes. buy quality paint tools

Also, don’t make the mistake of trying to use a masking tape instead of painting tape. Masking tape wasn’t made to keep paint out. You likely won’t end up with those sharp lines you were hoping for with the wrong kind of tape!

Choosing the Wrong Color

That shade of blue might look great on the color chip, but it looks completely different once it actually gets on the walls. Choosing the wrong color sets your project up for failure right from the beginning. Instead of simply choosing a color and hoping for the best, use a virtual paint tool that shows the shade in the room or buy a sample paint container to try a swatch of the color on your walls and see how it looks at different times of the day and in different lighting. Testing your paint colors

Not Testing Paint Colors in the Room You’re Painting.

We have made this type of mistake. It’s easy to look at a paint swatch in the hardware store and think, “This is perfect for the living room!” And within minutes, you buy that paint. When you get home and start rolling it onto the wall, you realize it doesn’t seem like the same color you purchased!

No, the hardware store isn’t trying to sell you the wrong color. The reality is, paint colors are going to look different depending on the room they’re in. This will be determined mostly by the lighting in a room. Always take the paint swatches home to view them in the natural and normal lighting of the room you plan to paint. If possible, get a paint sample and try it on a small section of the wall before finally actually choosing the paint color.

Using the Wrong Type of Paint

There are tons of options when it comes to the type of paint to use, but if you make the wrong choice, the room will never look like it should, no matter how well the paint is put on the wall. Glossy paints should only be used on flat walls that don’t have any defects or marks. High-traffic areas are best with a paint with at least a little sheen so that the walls can be cleaned. And if you’re using two different finishes in the same color, don’t forget to label the cans—there’s nothing worse than touching up a flat wall with semigloss paint.

Forgetting Primer.

Most people want to get to the exciting part of adding a new color instead of having to do another coat by starting with primer. However, primer is essential in creating a smooth surface and an evenly coated final product. Primer covers flaws to give a smooth surface that makes it much easier to add a new coat of paint. It helps your new paint better adhere to the surface, improves your paint durability, adds more protection to your wall, and keeps old stains and dark colors from shining through your new coat of paint. Many high-quality paint companies offer paint and primer in one so there’s no need to use a separate product, which works well on most interior walls. However, if you are painting a surface like wood, concrete, or drywall, it is best to use a dedicated primer before adding paint.

Painting Over Glossy Paint

If you’re painting over an old coat of super glossy paint, don’t skip an important step. Just painting a matte or eggshell finish over glossy paint won’t work—the new paint won’t stick well and could chip or crack. Instead, take a few layers of old paint off and add some grit to the surface so the new paint can stick by sanding over the glossy paint. It’s an extra step that will make a huge difference in the end.

Painting in Poor Lighting.

Having proper lighting to paint is going to play a huge part into the end result. It’s easier to miss spots or paint a thinner coat in areas when you can’t clearly see the quality of your job. It’s best to paint during the time of day when the room gets the most natural light.

Painting Large Spaces First, Instead of Edges.

Getting the tedious part done first will help ensure a job well done in the end. One of the most common mistakes when using rollers to paint walls is accidentally rolling too much and ending up with a large mark on the ceiling. It’s possible to fix, but it often requires painting the entire ceiling to cover up the mark. Work on painting edges first to avoid this mistake. Then roll a horizontal line around the top of the ceiling to give yourself some buffer room when you roll vertically on the rest of the walls.

Also, when you are ready to paint the large spaces, start at the top and work your way down. That way, you can catch any paint that is running down.

painting large wall spaces

Not doing touchups.

I know, by the time a painting project seems done, we’re ready to pack away the supplies quickly and move on. Remember though to go back through the room and check for missed spots, places that have been bumped, and areas where the coat of paint is too thin. Do a thorough job of touchups for a beautiful final result.

Not keeping touch-up paint.

Your wall is not guaranteed to stay without a chip in the paint. Life happens. Buy enough paint so that you will have some left over for touch-ups later. Don’t expect to have the gift of perfect color matching. Do yourself a favor and keep in warm space the right paint stored somewhere so that you can ensure later touch-ups won’t result in patches of a different shade.

Not cleaning your tools appropriately.

Here we are, at the final example of the common mistakes people make when painting. And it’s understandable: you’re just ready to be done with the project. However, not properly caring for those quality tools you purchased is going to cost you money for the next paint job. Properly wash brushes, rollers, and trays and store them so that you won’t have to purchase everything new the next time.

Painting is a doable DIY project that can make a big difference in a house—just make sure to prepare and avoid these common mistakes.

Has a painting job you need to get done in your home but don’t have the time or motivation to do it yourself? Contact us to learn how we can help.

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