If you properly prepare your home before painting and seal the paint, your paint job will have a greater chance of lasting longer. When you perform regular maintenance like cleaning baseboards and wiping down scuff marks you will help keep your paint in tip top shape. If you’re ready to update your paint, keep these 6 simple steps in your mental file folder.
Step 1: Treat and Remove Rotted areas
Before you pick up a paintbrush, check the surface you’re going to paint for signs of discoloration, black spots that are not related to dirt and rot. Treating the material first stops issues like these from becoming a huge problem later.
Step 2: Remove the Old Paint
In some cases you will want to remove old paint from the walls or your exterior before repainting. This helps the new paint stick to the surface in a smooth, flawless coat. Scrape or use sandpaper to level out rough areas. A power washer works well for removing peeling or flaking paint on a home’s exterior and reduces prep time because it cleans simultaneously.
Step 4: Caulking and Patching
Make sure to check the area to be painted for cracks, holes, dents, or any other damage. Fixing these problems helps you create a smooth surface for the paint. Fill in cracks with caulking or fill holes with putty. Patch small holes yourself, or hire a professional to fix considerable damage.
Step 4: Cleaning and Powerwashing
Next, clean the surface thoroughly. If you’re painting interior walls, scrub them off with equal parts water and vinegar to remove dirt and sticky residue. Power Washing the exterior is a quick method for cleaning and removing any peeling or bubbling paint to create a smooth surface.
After cleaning, allow the area to dry before you start painting. Interior walls may take longer to dry. You could open a window or turn on a fan to help speed up the process. Exteriors may need to dry for a few days before you can re-paint.
Step 5: Prime the Surface
Prime the wall before painting for an exceptional, long-lasting paint job. With only a single coat of primer, you can help your paint become much more durable. Primer also helps hide the color underneath your fresh coat, no matter how dark the shade. Allow your primer to dry for no less than 24 hours before painting. Be sure the primer you select is the right primer for the paint type and the surface type.
Step 6: Seal the Paint
Finally, sealing the paint is the easiest method for extending your paint’s lifespan no matter what you’re painting. Exterior paint and rooms with the most moisture, like the kitchen and bathrooms, especially require sealant. Follow the label’s directions to determine how long to wait before applying the sealer and how long it takes to dry. A suitable sealant depends on your paint and surface.
Now that you know how to properly prepare for your painting project you are ready to tackle that dream paint job. If you are like me, painting may not be second nature to you. If that is the case, give me a call. I have the right guy for the job.
