I was convinced you had to sand between every coat of paint

My neighbor, who's painted houses for 30 years, told me last week, 'You're just making dust for yourself, kid. On a flat wall with a good roller, you only need a light scuff after the primer.' I redid my living room over the weekend and skipped the sanding between my two top coats. The finish came out perfectly smooth and I saved at least two hours. Has anyone else found a step they can safely skip on a paint job?

2 comments

2 Comments

taylorcarr10d ago

My old foreman on a crew in Toledo had the same rule about taping off trim. He said if you have a steady hand and a good angled brush, you can cut in just as clean in half the time. I stopped taping baseboards three years ago and haven't had a single complaint from a client. It saves so much time and wasted blue tape.

wrenwilson10d agoMost Upvoted

Wait, you can really get it that clean without tape? I always thought taping was the only way to get a straight line. Might have to give the freehand method a shot next time.