Is your home needing to be spruced up? There are many ways to achieve this, you could get outside and do some landscaping, rearrange furniture, buy new decor, or if you really want to give your home a facelift, a fresh coat of paint could change everything.
A new coat of paint could be exactly what your home needs to help it look good as new. But painting your home is actually a lot more work than you may imagine. The prep work, process, and clean-up are big jobs, and a misstep could cost you many hours and a lot of money.
Today we will discuss the dos and don’ts of house painting to help prepare you for the big job.
How to Prepare Your Home for Painting
1. Getting Your Equipment Ready
The gear you choose is just as important as the work you do, and in selecting your equipment, you could make or break your project before you even whip out the paintbrush. So let’s discuss everything you will need to consider before getting started.
As you begin to amass your gear, it is important to anticipate your needs and determine what surfaces will be painted. This will help you to decide what types of brushes to paint with, if you need a ladder or how tall it will need to be. All of these things are important to consider, but it goes without saying the color choice is the most important decision you will make.
Before finalizing your decision, make sure you sit with it for long enough that you know you like the color. Also, make sure to test the color in the correct lighting environments because things can look very different in a store or when viewed outside in broad daylight. This can be done by painting a swatch of the paint on paper, and holding it against whatever surface is being painted.
Do not forget to grab supplies such as painter’s tape, screwdrivers, drop clothes, a variety of brushes (foam and angled), painter's trays, and anything else you may need before getting started. You will want to make sure all of these items are prepared before starting.
2. Preparing the Space
Jumping right into your painting project is a great way to ruin surfaces and furniture and waste a lot of time. Before starting, you must prepare the space you are going to paint to protect belongings from damage and ensure the paint is applied evenly and smoothly.
It is important that the surfaces where paint is being applied are clean and free of dust and other debris. These sorts of materials can interact with the paint and leave undesired texture marks on the wall. For outdoor surfaces, power washing is a great way to clean off walls and prepare them for painting.
When working with interior spaces, simply running a warm washcloth and cleaning products over walls should help to rid them of any unwanted particles. Make sure you wait for your surface to dry completely before beginning to apply your paint.
You must also keep in mind the proximity between the areas being painted and other surfaces or furniture. Painter tape can be used to line painting surfaces to ensure no paint bleeds onto other surfaces, and drop clothes and plastic sheets can be placed over decor items to protect them from paint.
Doing these things will help save you time and energy as you begin to paint. Remember to consistently check up on surfaces as you paint to make sure everything stays safely covered.
3. Think About Timing
The last consideration to think about before you begin painting your home is the timing. The job can be long and difficult, and making smart calculations, especially for outdoor painting, is critical.
Plan to paint on a day when the temperature ranges between 75 and 85 degrees, accompanied by very low humidity. These conditions will lead to the best adhesion between the paint and the surfaces.
Let’s Get Painting!
Now that you are equipped with a step-by-step guide for house preparation before painting, as well as some valuable tips, you are ready to begin your home improvement journey. Remember to be decisive, patient, and thoughtful as you go about painting your home.
We can not wait to see the new look your house will have after a fresh paint job. These types of projects not only boost the look of your home, they can also improve its value -- but only if they're done right! Before you start painting, have your home pressure washed by the professional team at HydroClean Pressure Washing in Asheville, NC.