They’d say, “So glad you’re repainting us but have you seen us lately?”
It’s time to repaint the interior of your home and it’s very exciting but the success of a painting project depends largely on preparation. Getting walls ready isn’t glamorous, that comes as the final product! Going through the sometimes tedious process of prepping your walls for painting is critical because it can either make or break the ultimate finish. Here’s what it takes to prep for painting:
Clean the Walls
Paint won’t adhere or stick to surfaces that are dirty or dusty. It’s best to begin prep work with cleaning, whether on the interior or exterior of your home. Pressure washing is the best way to remove dirt on the exterior.
Professional pressure washing is recommended because a lot can go wrong. An inexperienced person using a pressure washer could damage the wood or break windows. It’s possible that a surface won;t be sufficiently cleaned with pressure washing because the correct nozzle or technique wasn’t used.
The cleaners are strong and must be handled carefully. Rubber gloves and a mask should be used when using TSP cleaner, and areas in which the cleaner is used should be well-ventilated. Walls should always be cleaned before painting if:
- The walls are extremely dirty, greasy, or oily;
- In rooms with a wood-burning fireplace;
- Pets or children are in the home; and
- In bathrooms and around the stove and sink in kitchens.
Cleaning is usually not needed before painting ceilings, bedrooms or other low-impact rooms.
Talk to us immediately if you find mildew.
Repairs to Prep your Walls for Painting
Once walls have dried from cleaning, all imperfections on the walls need to be fixed. If they are left as is, adding fresh paint will only accentuate the flaws. Some or all of the following steps may be needed before painting:
- Carefully inspect the walls and identify and address all imperfections.
- If the wall has any cracked or flaking paint, use a paint scraper to scrape it off.
- Use sandpaper to smooth bumps and other imperfections in plaster.
- Use a spackling product and putty knife to patch small holes. Smooth the area and let it dry. After it is dry, smooth the area with sandpaper.
- Before painting, use primer on patched areas.
Remaining Steps to Prep for Painting
With your walls repaired, a major part of prep work is done. But there’s still more. When you do a complete job of prepping for painting, you are ensuring greater quality and longevity of the finished look.
- Move and cover furniture in plastic.
- Use canvas drop cloths for the floors.
- Apply painter’s tape around the trim. As much as possible, use longer pieces of tape. Short pieces cause gaps that paint can leak through. Press the edge of the tape to your trim using a clean putty knife, to ensure that the edge of the tape sticks firmly.
- Use primer either on patched and repaired areas or over the entire surface, if you are painting a lighter shade of paint over a dark color.
Yes, it’s a lot of work and there are a lot of things to think about. In order to save you time, headache and heartache, let us come and give you a bid for handling the entire process. That’s what we love to do: help you make your house your home.
