The Importance Of Painter Prep Work
There is much more to painting your home than one would think. Getting a fabulous paint job isn’t just about the painting, but also in the prep work that goes on way before the paint is applied.
Just like with every project, proper planning can help ensure success.
Here are a few things you will want to take into account when you are wanting to paint your home.
- You need to make lists and jot down your plans. It’s so easy once you get caught up in the project to find that you forget things or get distracted and inadvertently leave things off the list that needed to get done or purchased. Taking down notes on your project as it develops is a great way to keep this from happening and to ensure the project goes well with little stress.
- When deciding on what paint to purchase, make sure you cover old paint with the same base paints. In other words, don’t put an oil based paint over walls that were painted with flat paint. Mixing the base types will cause the paint to not adhere well or go on well. If you are needing to change paint base types, prime first with the new base type primer.
- Be sure everything is taped off and anything you don’t want to get paint on is covered. Be sure carpeting is also well covered and protected, keeping in mind paint is often tracked around by shoes. If a paint sprayer is used, be careful of overspray. Overspray is normally hard to see until your paint job is dry. There are guard tools you can buy, but often a piece of hard plastic or card board used to block overspray areas can be sufficient.
- Avoid sloppy painting. You may think it’s no big deal to over-paint edges that you will be painting a different color later. However, the over-paint can cause the top paint layer to be a different color or a different glossy sheen than the rest of the area. Your paint job won’t look nice. Go slow and try to stay within the areas meant for the color and type of base paint you are currently working with.
- Primer any areas that have a bold color previously applied. It’s important you prime walls that have bold colors or the color will probably bleed through the paint. Even though it seems like primer costs more, it actually saves you money per gallon because you aren’t having to paint three or more layers to hide the underlying color.
- Pick your paints and choose your colors. Be sure to write notes down as you go on what you decided. Making a quick sketch that details the location of your different colors is a great idea.
- Purchase what you need to do the job. In order to save stress later, try to purchase everything you will need to do your paint job before hand. That’s where the lists come in handy that you previously worked on. Any paint store retail professional should be able to answer questions for you regarding paint coverage square footage and types of paint and tools you may need.
All in all, preparing for your painting project is important if you want the project to go smoothly. Avoiding overspray, spills, unnecessary trips to the store, and mistakes will not only save you money but time and stress as well.
There are always professional painting contractors ready to help you with your project. Our expert services here at Orange County Painting Pros can be yours any time you need us.
Established in 1976, we are family owned company of professional, expert painting contractors. We also provide power washing, staining, clear sealers, elastomeric paints, window restoration, wood repairs, stucco repairs, waterproofing and more.
