Before starting your home decorating project, be sure to buy the right type of paint for the job at hand. If you’re painting a floor or ceiling, for example, you'll want special floor paint and/or ceiling paint. Though you may be tempted to use leftover wall paint to cover the ceiling or floor, doing that could lead to unsightly marks or paint that peels within a few mere months.

Whether you need ceiling paint, wall paint, floor paint, or concrete paint, your friendly Colours of Maples store has got you covered.

Before you get started with any of the painting techniques mentioned below, you’ll need to properly prepare the surface, so be sure to see our Preparing to Paint page. Then read on for our tips on painting ceilings, walls, floors, or concrete. Bonus: check out our special section on how to clean up once you’ve finished painting.

Ceiling paint techniques

If you’re planning to paint an entire room, start with the ceiling first. Even the most experienced painters have spills and splatters from time to time, and working from the top down will alleviate any risk of ruining your hard work painting the walls or floors.
The following are some basic tips for painting your ceiling. For more detailed advice, please visit your neighbourhood Colours of Maple store.

1. As with any painting project, your first step will be choosing the right paint. Use caution when choosing dark ceiling paints, as any imperfections will be reflected onto the walls by the lights. The professionals at Colours of Maple can help you choose just the right shade for your ceiling painting project.
   
   
2. To start, cut in your ceiling paint along the edge of the ceiling and around any ceiling fixtures, by using masking tape to mark a 6-inch strip. Then, cover one-third of your paint brush and cut in with your ceiling paint along the edge of the masking tape, overlapping slightly to ensure full coverage. If you are working with a flat or satin ceiling paint, you can continue applying the trim throughout the whole ceiling, but if you chose a glossy ceiling paint, you will need to move in sections around the ceiling. Otherwise, you could end up with visible overlaps as the paint dries.
   
   
3. When working with a paint roller, use smooth, even strokes, always in the same direction. Be careful not to overload the paint roller to avoid both excessive dripping and unattractive marks left by the excess paint.

Wall paint techniques

There IS such a thing as the right and wrong way to paint a wall for optimum results. The following are basic techniques for how to paint a wall. You can also visit your local Colours of Maple for more friendly advice.

1. First, you’ll need to cut in wall paint along the room’s borders. To get started, use masking tape to mark the border, then cover one-third of your paint brush in your desired wall paint. Draw the paint brush across the edge of the masking tape, overlapping slightly so you’re sure there’s full coverage. Continue along the entire border until you’ve finished the room.
   
   
2. You should continue painting the rest of the walls quickly, before the cut in paint dries. Starting with a 4-by-4 foot section in a corner of the room, use a paint roller to paint large W’s or M’s on the wall to distribute the excess paint. Then begin your painting at the top, overlapping your cut-in border, and work your way down. Repeat this process until the room is painted.
   
   
3. Take a break while the first coat dries – you deserve it! Once the wall paint is dry, you can decide whether you need a second coat of wall paint. In most cases, you will need a second coat, but you can make the final call when the time comes.

Floor paint techniques

A few coats of floor paint can really freshen up a room. You can even make it look bigger, if you opt for stripes. Geometric shapes can lend a sense of depth and character to your room, while a single shade of floor paint can be tied in to other accents in the room to bring a paint colour scheme together.

No matter what floor pattern you choose, Colours of Maple is here to help you learn how to paint your floors with a classic look that will last for years to come.

Keep in mind that you will take different steps if painting a brand new floor, versus a floor that has previously been painted. The Colours of Maple team can provide you with any information you need to get your project done right; give them a call or stop by today for more information.

Here are some basic tips for applying floor paint:

• Your first step is to choose the right floor paint for your project. One popular choice for floor paint is urethane paint, which has a high sheen and is easy to maintain. Floor paint is specially formulated to dry harder and stay put during heavy traffic. Leftover wall paint isn’t up to the task, so be sure to stop by Colours of Maple to pick up a floor paint that can handle your family’s daily activities.
  
  
• Getting started: Cut in a 2”-wide trim along the border of the wall. Keep going until you’ve covered the wall-to-floor border throughout the entire room.
  
  
• Adding an extension pole to your paint pad or paint roller will help you finish painting the rest of your floor quickly. Just be sure to start in a corner opposite and diagonal from the exit so you don’t box yourself in and leave footprints in your fresh floor paint.
  
  
• For optimum coverage and aesthetics, plan to use 2-3 coats of floor paint. Allow the floor paint to dry completely between coats, following the manufacturer’s recommended drying time. If you try to speed up the process, your floor paint could wind up with an unpleasant, tacky finish.

Concrete paint techniques

Learning how to correctly paint a concrete floor isn’t as tricky as it seems…if you have insider information, that is. Let the Colours of Maple pros help you avoid the costly mistake of fixing peeling concrete paint.

1. Using a high-pressure washer, thoroughly clean the concrete surface to be painted. A commercial-strength garage floor cleaner should do the trick for common oil or grease spills on your driveway or garage floors. The main point here is that the concrete surface should be completely clean of any contaminants before you apply the first coat of concrete paint.
   
   
2. When you’re confident that the concrete has been cleaned and rinsed completely, let it dry thoroughly. Even if it looks like it’s dry, give it another day just to be sure. If there is any moisture at all in the surface, you run the high risk of peeling. The concrete surface would then need to be stripped, cleaned, rinsed, left to dry, and repainted. Definitely a process worth avoiding!
   
   
3. While the concrete is drying, stop by Colours of Maple to check out our vast selection of high-quality, high-latex concrete paint. If you are painting in a high-traffic area, consider buying the most expensive concrete paint your budget allows. A cheaper paint might save you money now, but it will also not last as long as a high-quality concrete paint. With wear and tear, you could find yourself repainting the concrete surface much sooner than you would with a premium concrete paint.
   
   
4. When the concrete is dry and your concrete paint is ready to go, start off by cutting in the edges with a 2” trim brush. Then apply 2-3 thin, even layers of concrete paint across the entire surface. Between coats, follow the directions on the concrete paint can precisely. Don’t try to save time by painting a second or third coat sooner than the recommended time, or you could end up with choppy, uneven layers.
   
   
5. If the surface has the potential to get wet and slippery from time to time, you may want to consider adding grit to your concrete paint to prevent slips and falls. But you want to be sure to add just the right consistency to keep visitors safe without compromising the quality of the paint. Add too much grit and your concrete paint could wear out quicker and become harder to clean. Ask the professionals at Colours of Maple for recommendations on the best kind of grit, along with the right amount, to use with your chosen concrete paint.

Cleaning up after painting

Once your painting project is complete, it’s time to clean up safely. First off, avoid pouring leftover paints or solvents down your drain as such a move is harmful to the environment. Instead, pour used paints and solvents into metal cans and drop them off at a proper hazardous waste facility. If you’re not sure where to find your local hazardous waste facility, just ask the friendly staff at Colours of Maple.

A brush and roller spinner will make quick work of cleaning your brushes and rollers thoroughly. If you don't have one, simply use a cloth or tissue to squeeze excess paint from the brush, then run it under lukewarm water (never hot, which can loosen the bristles, causing them to fall out). Work up a lather on the brush with mild soap. Rinse and repeat until the water runs clear.

Colours of Maple has a wide selection of ceiling paints, wall paints, floor paints, and concrete paints to fit any home decorating project, so stop by today to pick up the paint and tools to help you get the job done.