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Surface Preparation
Correct surface preparation is absolutely vital for getting a good finish in your painting project, and it is the one step that cannot be rushed. Poor surface preparation will result in a paint job that does not last and that looks less than optimal. It is possible to do the surface preparation yourself if you are choosing to do the whole painting project yourself or if you simply want to save some money before calling the professionals in.
Preparing an Indoor Surface
There are several steps that you need to take in order to ensure that you have correctly prepared indoor surfaces for painting. These include:
- remove light furniture from the room and ensure that you have taken everything off the walls
- heavy furniture should be grouped together in the centre of the room and covered by drop cloths
also cover the floor in drop cloths
- ensure that light fittings are protected
- remove wallpaper, washing the wall well and letting it dry for 24 hours
- scrape off any chipped or peeling paint
- fill small holes, cracks, and other blemishes with the appropriate compound and let the compound dry before sanding it back
- sand the surface – pay particular attention to newly patched areas, areas of bare wood and areas where paint has been scraped off
- vacuum the room to remove any dust from sanding and using a tack cloth to dust the surfaces of the room
- wash the walls with an appropriate cleaning solution and allow to dry thoroughly
Once the above steps have been completed, the surfaces are ready to be painted with the colour and finish of your choice.
Preparing an Exterior Surface
To correctly prepare an exterior surface for painting, you should undertake the following steps:
- turn off the gas or power to any appliances that are outdoors
- use drop cloths to cover plants, outdoor furniture, etc that you don’t want to get paint on
- remove anything that has been fixed to the home such as shutters, house numbers and so forth
- use a pressure washer to remove loose paint from the home – be careful that the pressure is not too high or you can damage the surface
- remove any remaining loose paint by hand scraping the surface
- fill any holes, cracks, blemishes or gouges with the appropriate exterior filler and allow it to dry
- sand the surfaces – a power sander works well for larger areas while a hand sanding block is ideal for tricky to reach areas
- remove window screens, and any other items that you don’t want painted
- use the pressure washer to clean the exterior surfaces of dirt
- if washing the house by hand, consider a brush that attaches to the hose to make the process faster
- clean the surface with the appropriate exterior cleaner and rinse with water afterward
- allow the surfaces to dry thoroughly – one day is adequate for most paints but if you are using an oil based paint, you will need to let the surface dry for at least a week
When the above steps have been completed, you should find that painting the exterior of the house is a breeze, and you will get fantastic results.
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Related Categories
Painting & Decorating
Wallpapering
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