Arrowhead Painting understands that when it comes to changing or improving your home that it can be extremely exciting. Giving a room or several rooms a fresh look or a totally new look is exciting to say the least. However, it’s really important that things are done properly, especially when it comes to getting the room ready for painting. The last thing you want when you are finished is a finished job that doesn’t turn out like you hoped. This can end up being not only frustrating but it could cost you more money if you have to do it over.
Preparing Properly for Your Interior Paint Project
It’s extremely important that prior to doing the actual painting of your walls, you make sure that you have done all the required and important prep work so that you’ll have a finished project that you’ll be proud of.
The first thing you should do is to take some time and examine the room or rooms that you want to paint. Look for any issues or damages that you might need to repair prior to painting. By taking just a few minutes out of your day to examine everything is going to save you a lot of time, frustration, and even money in the long-run.
Make Sure Your Furniture is Protected
One of the most common things that a lot of people forget about when they decide to paint is their furniture. This can be a big mistake if the furniture is left in the room and unprotected can often end up with damaged furniture. The best thing to do is to, if at all possible, remove the furniture from the room. However, if you can’t do this, then it’s highly suggested that you use some kind of painter’s plastic to cover furniture that remains in the room
It’s also a good idea to move what furniture you can to the center of the room. Not only does this help to protect your furniture but it will also give you a lot more room to work when painting.
Remove the Wall Plates
After your furniture has been taken care of, the next thing you’ll want to do is to remove all of the wall plates that are on the walls that you plan on painting. You never want to live them on because this can cause damage later on if you want to remove them and they’re painted over. You will also want to remove any return and vent covers.
Protect Your Floors
Floors are also commonly forgotten about when people go to paint the inside of their homes. The last thing you want is to drip or spill any paint on your floors, especially if the floor is carpeted. A large spill on a carpet more than likely will mean that you have to replace it. The best thing that you can use to cover your floors would be to use canvas cloths because they not only keep spills from soaking through but they are also very easy to lay out on your floor or carpet and they will stay in place while you’re painting.
Ladders and/or Scaffolds
If you’re painting something that’s not too high you may just only need a step ladder. But, if you have tall ceilings and walls, you’re going to want to make sure that you have a good steady ladder. If you have an open floor plan or high ceilings you may need to rent some scaffolds in order to do the job efficiently and safely.
Repairing Your Walls
After you have taken everything off your walls there more than likely will be spots that will need to be patched. You will need to do this by using a patching compound. Put a good amount on the damaged area and then scrape off and smooth down with some sandpaper.
Clean Off Surfaces to Be Painted
Before you paint make sure to wipe down any areas that tend to have dirt build up or in kitchens make sure to clean off any grease build up with some warm water and a good dish soap. If you don’t clean off dirty areas of your walls, the paint is going to have a difficult time adhering properly.
Prepping the Trim
Trim is a lot more important than some people might think. This is what can help to divide the walls from the rest of the room. They can also be used to accent the room at the same time. It’s important that if the trim is going to be a different color than the walls that they are protected with painters tape prior to painting your walls.
You might want to practice taping the trim with the painters tape a few times until you feel like you have it down pretty well.
Do a Paint Test Sample
You will want to make sure that the color you chose is really what you wanted, so it’s important to do a test sample. The best way to do this is to put a little on the wall where a piece of furniture normally is placed. If you’re happy with how the color looks, you are ready to start painting.