A woman who painted her entire house by herself has shared a ‘game-changing’ hack she learnt during the process that stopped her paint rollers from ruining her walls
Embarking on a DIY project can be a daunting task, no matter how big or small it is. There’s always that lingering fear you might make a mistake during the process, which, depending on the task, can either leave you with paint marks where you didn’t want them or needing to call out an electrician because you accidentally drilled into your home’s wiring.
Thankfully, in today’s internet-driven world, you can find plenty of tips, tricks, and tutorials online to help you with just about any task you can think of. And one woman who painted her entire house completely by herself has shared some painting hacks she wishes she’d known before she started her mammoth project.
Molly Miller regularly shares home hacks and other DIY tips on her Instagram account, and recently shared four hacks she would recommend to anyone painting the walls of their home – including one paint roller trick that she claimed “saved” her walls from looking patchy.
1. Get clean edges with a file folder
Molly admitted she would do “just about anything to avoid taping”, so she found creative ways to help her get clean edges around her skirting boards and doorframes without using reams and reams of painter’s tape.
The easiest alternative she found was dragging an A4 file folder around with her. The folder was able to catch the excess paint that would otherwise coat her floor when she was painting her skirting boards, and she didn’t have to spend precious extra time laying down tape and then later ripping it all up.
2. Use an edging tool for corners
An edging tool, also known as an edge trimmer, is a square device that’s perfect for painting completely straight lines that rollers often struggle with. You can use them to paint anywhere where two right angles meet, such as where your wall meets the window or doorframe.
Molly said she loved using the edging tool at the top of her walls where they met the ceiling, as her home doesn’t have any coving, so the wall ended with a harsh right angle that would have been ruined by a roller.
3. Run your roller over a strip of painter’s tape
The trick that saved Molly’s walls was running her paint roller over a strip of painter’s tape before she dipped it in any paint. This is vital if you have a new paint roller, as the tape will work like a lint roller to catch any loose fibres from your roller that would otherwise end up stuck to your walls under a coat of paint.
Molly said: “This will prevent lint from getting on your wall and ruining your paint job.”
4. Add essential oils to your paint
One of the worst parts of painting a home is the awful smell of paint permeating every room. There’s not much you can do to combat this entirely, but Molly recommended adding a few drops of your favourite essential oil to the paint tin, as it will at least mask the odour a little bit.
Just be careful when adding oil to a water-based paint, as you may risk lowering the paint’s adhesive properties, meaning it won’t stick to your walls. You can buy specially formulated fragrances for paint if you want your paint to smell nicer, but wearing a mask and opening a window should be enough to tackle the fumes.
Commenters on Molly’s video were thankful for her tips. Many said they would be redecorating their own homes soon and would use some of her suggestions to help them on their DIY journey.
One person said: “Best tip was the tape on the wall to remove fibres from a new roller! When the fibres ended up on my walls, my painters thought it was no problem, until they had to redo the walls.”
Another added: “Love the loose fibre remover!”
