19 Best Professional Painter Secrets
Owen Barnes 
9/19
Run a Crisp Bead of Caulk Between Woodwork and Walls
Apply a thin bead of paintable acrylic latex caulk only inside the crack where wood meets a wall for a smooth, professional appearance. Remove extra caulk with a putty knife. And buy a dripless caulk gun to save time and frustration. Cut the tip smaller than you think you need.
10/19
Sand Between Coats
No matter how careful you are, you can usually find ridges or bubbles or a few bits of dust and lint in a fresh coat of paint or primer. For the smoothest possible topcoat, hand-sand the entire door after the primer and between coats of paint. It may seem like a lot of work, but it shouldn’t take more than five minutes when the door is flat on the sawhorses.
Sand with non-clogging 180- or 220-grit sandpaper or sanding sponges (look for “non-clogging” or “stearated” on the label). Sand just enough to make the surface feel smooth. After sanding, vacuum and wipe down the door with a damp cloth to remove all the dust.
11/19
Take a Wool-Blend Roller Cover for a Spin
The most important part of your paint rolling setup is the roller cover, also known as a sleeve. It’s tempting to buy the cheapest cover available and throw it away when you’re done. But you won’t mind the few extra minutes of cleanup time once you experience the difference a good roller cover makes. Cheap roller covers don’t hold enough paint to do a good job. It’ll take you four times as long to paint a room. And you’ll likely end up with an inconsistent layer of paint, lap marks and built-up ridges of paint. Instead, buy a 1/2-in. nap wool blend roller cover and give it a try. With proper care, this may be the last roller cover you’ll ever buy.
Wool covers do have a few drawbacks, though. They tend to shed fibers when they’re first used. To minimize shedding, wrap the new roller cover with masking tape and peel it off to remove loose fibers. Repeat this a few times. Wool covers also tend to become matted down if you apply too much pressure while painting. Rolling demands a light touch. No matter what roller cover you’re using, always let the paint do the work. Keep the roller cover loaded with paint, and use only enough pressure to release and spread the paint. Pushing on the roller to squeeze out the last drop of paint will only cause problems.
