Painting isn’t just about colors – there’s an art to the whole process. Understanding the painting process and the order of operations for the project can help you prepare your home or office. First, you prep. Surface preparation is hugely important, though some painting companies will skip it or speed through the process. Believe us when we say that a high quality end result is the product of meticulous work up front, and the prep portion should never be rushed or ignored.
Drop cloths or other covers should be used on floors and fixed furniture pieces to keep dust and paint at bay.
Next, high use surfaces such as kitchen walls and ceilings or mudroom walls that may have additional grease and grime need to be washed since dirt, oil, dust and other particles can prevent paint from adhering fully and properly. A best practice is to use a light detergent (that won’t leave a residue) to scrub the walls, taking extra care with trim and doors and giving a final wipe down with clean water and cloths.
If your surface has a gloss or shiny finish on it, creating a slippery texture, it’s necessary to sand that down. Glossy paints look great, but will hinder the outcome of a repaint. After sanding the walls, revert back to the previous step, taking care to get all dust from the sanding process off of the walls before they dry. Your handy vacuum cleaner is great for capturing dust created from the sanding process as well.
Once the surface is clean, filling any holes or imperfections with high quality spackle is next in line. This could mean cracks, nail holes, dips in the surface – anything that might affect the look of the final product. Along the way, there may be areas of loose paint – the loose flakes can be removed by hand, and the surrounding edges can be sanded.
If there is more significant wall or ceiling damage such as large holes or water damage, additional drywall or surface repairs may be needed prior to painting.
Lastly, painter’s tape should be applied to the corners and edges you’d like to keep paint-free.
Seem like a lot of work? Call the professionals to do it for you! Call Blue Door Painting today.