Painting any room in your home is a great way to give it a fresh look. Not only is it cost-effective, it’s fairly easy and can be accomplished in a weekend. Although it can be easy, there are some common mistakes that do-it-yourselfers make that can make all the hard work look less than exemplary. The good news is that these mistakes can be remedied.

Buying cheap brushes

Cheaper brushes and rollers tend to leave their mark on your wall with bristles or roller lint. Spend a few extra bucks and get the good ones.

Skipping the prep

Most D-I-Yers don’t have the skills to get straight lines and clean edges. A few minutes of prep time makes your work that much better.

Starting too soon

Make sure the spots you repaired with patching compound are completely dry before you sand and prime. Otherwise, all that patching was a waste of time.

Going for too much with a single dip of paint

Don’t let the brush or roller become too dry. Be sure to maintain a smooth line of paint. Once the paint appears to break up, it’s time to re-dip.

Letting paint dry out

For water-based paint, put a piece of clear plastic wrap on the surface of the paint, then reseal the container. For oil-based paint, add about a half-inch of water on the surface before resealing.

Not priming

Priming, as a rule, improves the results you’ll get. Not only does it give the paint a good surface to adhere to, it also brings out the true color of the paint.

Not washing the walls

Paint should have a good, clean surface to stick to. Washing your walls prior to painting will help you get better results.

Not using drop cloths

If you can’t move it out of the room, make sure it’s completely covered with a drop cloth. Tape the edges of the floor and make sure it has a drop cloth, too.

Painting the wall plates

Taking five extra minutes to remove the wall plates and taping around light switches and electrical outlets gives your room a more professional look.