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BEFORE
YOU START A DIY PAINTING PROJECT |
Before you decide to undertake a DIY painting project in your home,
its important to understand the various steps involved in a successful
paint job and consider whether or not your time wouldn’t
better be served generating revenue at your profession. While we
are happy to provide you with the materials and ideas, we always
advise homeowners to leave the big jobs to the professionals because
it costs you more in the long run. However, for those of you who
have crunched the numbers, it’s important to realize that
neglecting any one of these steps will create sloppy results and
may mean you’ll have to repaint sooner than you’d planned.
The bottom line? It’s all about the prep work. Every—and
we mean every—quality paint job begins with patient preparation.
And don’t even think about overlooking the details: paint
will certainly underscore any and every defect in your walls and
trim. Some repairs are easy to do, but others—like removing
dangerous lead paint or even asbestos—will almost certainly
require the help of a professional painter or contractor like MyHome.
But, in general, here are some of the steps involved with an interior
painting job.
Remove Your Belongings From The Room
Remove as much of the furniture and other large objects from the
room as you can. If that’s just not possible, group furniture
in the center of the room so everything can easily be covered and
therefore protected. Also take the time to remove all pictures,
hangings, nails, and picture hangers from your walls and ceiling.
Clean
Dirt prevents paint from adhering well, so you may need to wash
the walls, baseboards and trim. Specific areas that almost always
need thorough scrubbing include kitchens—especially around
stoves and sinks—and bathrooms. Use any of the typical household
cleaners and then allow the surfaces to dry completely.
Interior Masking
It’s much easier to take the time now to protect windows,
floors and furniture than it is to frantically try to remove paint
after the fact. So, use drop cloths to protect your floors and
furniture. Protect your windowsills, doors, and any surface you’re
not planning on painting with blue painter's tape. (Don’t
use masking tape because it’s almost impossible to remove
after two or three days.)
Remove Switch Plates & Outlet Covers
Remove all switch plates and outlet covers so you can paint faster
and have a better overall look. If, for some reason you can’t
remove the switch plates and outlet covers, cover them with painter’s
tape.
Make Repairs
The next, and most important, step is to make repairs to any holes,
cracks, stains, peelings and other imperfections in your wall’s
surface. This is the step most neglected by the average DIY-er
but it is also by far the most essential to ensuring your final
results are as beautiful as you’d envisioned.
Here are some common repairs:
Address Moisture Issues & Remove
Mold
First off, water stains on your ceiling are a sign that you may
have a leaky roof or a plumbing problem. So, first investigate
the source of the problem otherwise you may find yourself with
stained walls again quite soon. Likewise, mold and mildew are also
signs that excessive moisture is trapped in your home’s walls.
Again, investigate the source before proceeding. If you do find
mold, be sure to thoroughly clean it from the surface.
Seal Tough Stains
If you’ve got tough stains like permanent marker, crayon,
smoke damage or nicotine residue, you’ll need to seal it
with two coats of a stain blocking primer. If you don’t do
this, chances are the stain will show through your new paint job.
Scrape & Sand Peeling Paint
Scrape and sand any peeling paint to remove it from the wall surface.
It’s a good idea to wear a mask during this process so that
you don’t inhale dust and debris.
Spackle Holes & Caulk or Spackle
Cracks
Use lightweight spackle to fill in small holes—like those
left by nails from picture-hanging. Use a paint-able caulking to
repair cracked corners and spackle to repair minor drywall crack.
More severe cracks in the drywall will need to be repaired by a
professional contractor.
Prime
Paint your walls, baseboards and trim with a priming coat if there
have been any extensive repairs, if plan on applying latex or acrylic
paint over an oil-based paint, or if you’re painting over
a dark color. |
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