YOUR PAINT JOB IS ONLY AS GOOD AS YOUR PREPARATION

Whether indoors or outdoors thoroughly preparing the surface is the foundation to a quality paint job. Here are some prep steps to a successful project.

COVER EVERYTHING

Covering all of the furnishings that cannot be removed from the area is important. Far too many people have assumed that they will be extra careful and ended up ruining something. Be sure to cover electrical outlets with masking tape. If painting an interior room mask the door handles and most people forget about the hinges which can be a real pain to scrape the paint off of later.

No matter what you use to paint (brushes, rollers, or sprayers) there’s bound to be drips on the floor. No matter how careful you are. So it’s important that you cover the floor. Put some painters tape on the baseboards all around the room. Then lay a cloth drop cloth on the floor overlapping the tape. If the floor is carpeted then make sure you push half an inch of tape behind the carpet with a scraper to keep the entire carpet protected.

WASH SURAFCES WITH NON-RESIDUE CLEANER

You must be sure the surface you are paintings is clean and dust free. There’s nothing worse than a splotchy paint job because of dust and debris left on the work surface. So clean the walls with a damp cloth. If the area has oil residue like your kitchen then you will need to use a degreasing cleaner. For outdoor surfaces use a pressure washer to prepare the surface. Be careful not to get too close to the surface or you may end up with a stucco repair.

REPAIR ANY CRACKS OR HOLES

You should also putty up any holes in the wall. If there are larger holes be sure you repair those properly as needed with wall compound and tape. Speak with your local hardware store to find out the best way to repair walls before you begin painting, especially if large repairs are needed.

For paint that is peeling you will want to scrape and sand prior to painting. Painting over paint that’s chipping is just going to be a waste of your time!

USE QUALITY PRIMER

This isn’t always a necessary step, but for surfaces that haven’t been painted before, or if you are going from a dark color to a light color the surface will accept the paint better if they have been primed first. You will need less coats of paint to get the desired color and coverage.

Making sure that you have properly prepared to paint is of the utmost importance. Once you have covered, masked, repaired, cleaned, and primed all surfaces you will be so happy you took that extra time to do that extra work. The results will be far better and ultimately you’ll find will last longer if done correctly.

If you think all of this prep work…sounds like a lot of work, it is.

If you live in Sedona, Cottonwood or the Verde Valley and have better things to do with your time give SCPC Paint Company a call at 928-634-1177 or visit our website.

For over 20 years we have been a licensed and bonded contractor expertly painting and preserving homes for discriminating home owners like you.