Prepping Walls For The Perfect Paint-Job
Are you doing the prep-work for an interior paint job? If so, there's a few things that you can do to ensure the finished paint-work looks as close to perfect as humanly possible. Here, you'll find some of those tips.
Sand Rough Walls
If there are brush marks in the paint, drips or runs from the previous paint job, or just some areas that aren't quite looking as smooth as they should, you'll want to go over the areas with sandpaper. Get some fine-grit sandpaper and a sanding block. Sand the surface until it is smooth.
If you have several areas that are rough, you may want to go over the entire wall with the sandpaper just to make sure you don't miss any spots. This will do two things – help you find the rough spots and create an even finish so that the paint is accepted to the wall evenly so that the shades remain the same throughout the room.
After you've sanded, you'll need to wipe the walls down with a damp cloth. Any areas that were sanded to the drywall will need to be coated with primer. If you want to skip this step, you'll need to tell your painter that there are areas that will need primed – he may just do the entire surface to ensure an even finish.
Fill the Holes
All of those tiny nail holes that you don't think will cause any problems – well, those need to be filled with joint compound and sanded smooth. Tiny nail holes are easy to do, but when it comes to larger holes, you may need to call someone for help. Watch some DIY videos on how to do it – you'll see that if it isn't done just right, it will fail and will complicate the painting process.
These areas will also need to be coated in primer so that the paint will adhere.
Remove Outlet and Switch Plates
Now is a great time to remove all of the outlet and switch plates in the room. Look into the area around the outlets and switches – are they insulated? If not, you'll have two options – buy insulating covers that go underneath the plates, or spray some foam insulation in around them to fill in the gaps allowing your heat to escape from the house.
When all is said and done, the room should be ready for the painters to come in and work their magic. If you did your job right, the finish will be as close to perfect as possible. Contact a service, like Walls-N-All Painting, for more help.
