Preparing Surfaces to Paint

By: Joseph Gardener

When planning out how to paint your home's exterior or interior, do not forget to allow the right amount of time for preparation. Preparing surfaces to paint is a crucial step of the process that can make or break your project's final appearance. All of the time you spend on the actual painting will be pointless if the surface underneath is not clean and adequately repaired. Here are a few things to consider when getting your home ready to be painted.

First, you want to clear out and clean the room you intend to paint. It may seem like you can work around furniture, bookshelves, curtains, and other items, but you will often get a much better view of the room when all clutter is removed. This allows you to see blemishes and holes in the walls that may have been covered by furniture or obscured by poor lighting. Be sure to take off all removable trim items from the walls themselves, such as electrical outlet covers or light switches. Labeling these items as you remove them will make it easy to return them to the correct location once the painting project is completed.

Large items that absolutely cannot be moved from the room can be placed in the center to keep them out of the way. Place everything as close together as possible and cover the entire area with leakproof plastic sheeting. Vacuum the entire room as thoroughly, working around any items that have been placed in the center. Ideally, you want to remove all dust, dirt, and cobwebs from the room so nothing will interfere with your new paint's ability to stick to the walls. Use a damp, soft cloth to wipe down any baseboards and woodworking. Make sure everything is dry before you start covering these areas with plastic sheets or masking tape. Moisture can become trapped and seep into your walls, leading to mold and mildew problems in the future.

Wash all walls that are going to be painted. Even if the wall looks clean, there may be particles of dirt, dust, oil, or soot built up on the surface. Paint will not stick to walls that are dirty or oily. A mop with a sponge head works very well for cleaning walls because the long handle will allow you to cover a lot of area without having to strain. While there are many cleaning products you can buy for this purpose, often only warm water and detergent is required to remove the dirt and oil. After washing the walls with your soap mixture, be sure to wash them one final time with just water to remove any soap residue left over.

After the walls are cleaned, you should inspect the surface for any cracks, dents, or holes that need to be repaired. Using a putty knife, fill the hole or indentation with spackle and smooth it out as much as you can. Once the spackle has dried, you can use sandpaper to sand the patched area down so it is flush with the rest of the wall. Be sure to wipe off any debris and small particles of drywall before figuring out how to paint the wall.

Article Source: http://www.articlepro.co.uk/international

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