One of the great things about home painting is that the sky is the limit! When it comes to the options that you have and what you want to do to improve the look of your home, there are so many options, both inside or outside. When approaching a painting project, not only are there many different things that you can paint, but there are lots of different painting techniques as well.

Painting Techniques and Home Improvements

Painting and Home improvements go hand in hand. One idea that can make a statement in the heart of your home is a painting technique that gives the mantle over your fireplace the sizzle that will wow your family and friends. There are a lot of great ways and methods to finish a mantle, and some of them are:

The Crackle Effect – One of Many Painting Techniques 

Have you ever seen a mantle that looked like the paint was crackling and it actually was not? This is the iconic crackle finish. A crackle finish is a pretty easy look to achieve as well. It is a two color process. Here are the steps:

  • Paint your mantle with your base color first. This will be the color that shows through the cracks, so it is typically a good idea to go with a bolder color for the base color.
  • Next, coat the mantle in a special crackling glaze, which you can buy at most paint stores.
  • Once the glaze has set properly, apply the third, top coat.
  • When this coat begins to dry, the glaze underneath it will cause it to crackle here and there, showing the color beneath it. Very cool!

Marbleizing is Another One of Those Great Painting Techniques

A lot of people want a marble mantle, but such mantles are very expensive, to say the least. With this in mind, it is best to go with a faux marble finish, which can be obtained through painting the existing mantle. This process is a bit more complicated than crackling is, but it is totally worth it. To marbleize a mantle, one will have to work with multiple glazes and a special application process including artist brush work to create a unique, marble look.

Combing –  Easy to Achieve

  • This involves first painting the mantle with its basic, base coat.
  • Then, apply a glaze of a different color over that.
  • Now, as the glaze is drying, literally comb through it with a dry brush to give a raised, brushed, textured look.
  • You can vary how the texture will look by using different kinds of brushes to brush over it.

Cissing is Used to Create a Mantle That Looks Like Limestone

Like marbleizing, this approach is also a bit complicated but is totally doable. Simply stated, this approach will require that you:

  • First paint your mantle with a base coat of paint.
  • Then, apply multiple coats of tinted glaze over the base coat.
  • Next, once the coats are partially dry, lightly spatter the mantle with a solvent such as mineral spirits or water.
  • Do this so that some of the glaze lifts off the surface and then fully dries that way.
  • This will give it a mottled, limestone look.

At Local SD Painting, we love taking on unique projects like the above. These projects are absolutely within our skill set, as we have years of experience as professional, high-end home painters in the San Diego County area. We can take on any project of any size, from painting a mantle to a full on interior repaint to a full exterior paint job. Either way, the look will be much better when we are done with it! Call us today at (619) 586-5683 for a free estimate and to get started on your next painting project.