How To Prepare Your Home For Painting

Home painting is an excellent approach to revamping your interiors, but it can be challenging and time-consuming without adequate preparation. Whether you hire a professional or do it yourself, you’d want to take time and prepare your home to make your paintwork smooth and limit unexpected ambushes.

When painting your house, proper preparation can go a long way. From this guide, you’ll learn a few things you need to know about prepping your home for the paint job. Small bits of extra work can prolong the lifespan of your upcoming paint job. You can learn from this great site how professionals approach it. Otherwise, here are some steps you can consider to make sure your home painting process is sleek.

  • Move And Cover Your Furniture

It’d be best if you moved small furniture such as light stands or coffee tables out of the room meant for painting. On the other hand, moving large furniture such as beds, sofas, chairs, and dining tables may be challenging. These things will need ample storage space or room to put in while painting. You can gather this furniture at the center of the room and cover them with large clothes or an old sheet. Doing this gives painters adequate space to move around and prevent spilling paint all over them.

Efficient renovation crew painting white walls of new build home
  • Remove Electronics And Appliances

Electronic appliances such as refrigerators, stoves, televisions, gaming systems, and sound systems can hinder painters when doing their work. Cover or remove them because they’re expensive items that can be damaged. Paint spills can damage the electric circuits and render the appliances obsolete. Also, remember that paint can still spill even if the items are covered, especially when painting the ceiling. Therefore, the most effective solution is to move all these items to another location.

  • Remove Wall Hanging And Ornaments

Similarly, wall hangings and ornaments can hinder painters while painting the interior of your house. Carefully remove all wall paintings, picture frames, mirrors, clocks, and other artistic items from the wall. Wrap them with wrapping paper, package them in labeled boxes, and store them in another room to prevent breakage.

  • Protect Soft Furnishings And Clear Away Knick-Knacks

Soft home furnishings, such as carpets and mats, must be removed and placed somewhere safe away from the room intended for painting. Window dressings such as drapes, blinds, and small knick-knacks on display that can be easily knocked off must be cleared away. Even if your ceiling doesn’t have to be painted, you must roll up the carpets and mats and cover them with plastic for additional safety. Actually, the more you put things away, the more you create space for yourself or the hired professional painters and make their work easier.

  • Clean The Walls

Cleaning the walls is crucial and dramatically affects the results of your painting project. Stains, dirt, and dust can accumulate on the walls as time passes; even though you might not notice them, they might be visible after the walls are repainted. Paint can stick to these stains if not cleaned and will permanently stay on the walls; therefore, thoroughly clean the walls.

You may use long brooms to remove cobwebs and a small vacuum to give a thorough hoover everywhere, including the ceilings. Afterward, use water, soap, and a sponge to wash away stains and debris on the wall. For example, kitchen surfaces are exposed to more stains, such as grease. Therefore, they need stronger detergents that altogether remove the oil. Finally, rinse off with clean water to remove detergent residues.

  • Sand The Walls

Sanding is necessary, especially for exterior walls, to create sufficient bonding between the plaster and coats of paint. If you don’t sand your wall surfaces well, the paint looks excellent then, but after a few years, you’ll notice errors. If you’re using oil-based paint, you might try to start painting because old paint soaks up the existing paint so well that it sticks well at the start and looks good. However, for that perfect finish, ensure that you sand first for the paint to last long.

While working with old wood, use medium-grit paper to refresh those surfaces. Opt for fine-grit paper for areas such as the window trim or the door, where you apply semi-gloss or gloss paint. For any paintwork you want, sanding is vital; brush off the current paint properly to form a coarse surface that’ll absorb the new paint well.

  • Prime The Walls

Priming the walls ensures the fresh paint sticks well to the previously painted areas. It’s done primarily where old paint has peeled off. It also helps to create a matching and consistent paint job that’s appealing. Moreover, priming is critical when using latex paint to paint areas that previously consisted of oil-based paint. Depending on the preferred paint, you use an oil-based primer or a latex primer.

Conclusion

Home preparation is key to having a wonderful experience when painting the walls. The aim is to safeguard your belongings from getting stained by paint drops. Moreover, prepping the walls through cleaning, sanding, and priming creates a durable bond and a consistent finish. If you take ample time to prepare, the real paintwork will be a walk in the park, and your home will have a new perfect look in a wink.

Home Base Project Team
Home Base Project Team
At The Home Base Project, we offer practical, real-life tips and inspiration about DIY, decorating and gardening. The Home Base Project provide the best information about home renovation and design, connecting home design enthusiasts and home professionals across the world.