While it is certainly not the most enjoyable part of the painting process,
careful preparation can make your home painting project easier and less
stressful. In fact, this is quite possibly the most important part of the job.
Improper or incomplete preparation is a recipe for disaster. Fail to prepare,
and your project is doomed before it has even begun.
The steps I’ve listed below are general, all-purpose prep rules. They are
standard steps for most jobs. Before and after preparation, reassess the space
to see if something does not look fully prepared.
Things You’ll Need:
• Roll of plastic sheeting
• Painter’s Tape
• Primer (Water-based Primer is usually sufficient)
• Spackling Compound
• Putty Knife
Clear the Room
Clearing the room of all possible obstacles is the first step toward a quality
paint job. A cluttered room will increase the stress, work, and difficulty of
your painting project.
Begin by clearing the walls any removable pieces. This includes outlet covers,
light switch covers, curtain rods, pictures, etc… Label any outlet covers and
light switches with masking tape so they can find their proper home again. Keep
the mounting hardware together (a plastic sandwich bag works great), labeled, and
in a safe place.
Remove everything that’s possible from the room’s interior as well. Furniture,
fabrics, home décor. Furniture that cannot be removed for some reason should be
moved into the center of the room and covered with plastic sheeting. You should
not use cloth to cover the floor or any furniture, as paint will soak into the
fabric and stain whatever is underneath
Clean the Room
Clean the room thoroughly. Vacuum carpets. Sweep and mop floors. Wipe down
baseboards and woodwork with a damp cloth. Clean those pesky cobwebs from the
corners.
Once this stage of cleanup is completed, cover the floor completely with
plastic sheeting. Secure the sheeting to the edges of the floor or baseboard
with painter’s tape.
Wash the Walls
Walls (even those that look clean) accumulate dust, oily buildup, soot (from
candles, cigarettes, etc…). Washing the walls to be painted is a critical step
in the preparation process. Paint will not adhere well to dirty, oily walls.
There are many cleaning products available on the market for this type of
application, but I’ve found that plain old dish soap and warm water works just
about as well as any of them. A sponge-headed mop is an excellent tool for
actual cleaning. Its long handle should allow you to reach 8 or 9 foot tall
walls with relative ease.
Once the walls have gotten a thorough washing, give them a final once-over with
plain old water to wash any soapy residue from the surface.
Patch Holes
A smooth surface is critical to the finished look of your paint project. Fill
any nail holes, small dents, and nicks in the drywall with spackling compound.
Press the spackle firmly into the hole with a putty knife and smooth as flat as
possible. Allow several hours to dry (per spackling manufacturer’s instructions).
Sand the repairs flush with the wall. Apply a second coat of spackling if
necessary. Sand flush.
Spackling is meant only for minor drywall repairs, such as nail holes, hairline
cracks, and small nicks. I urge you to contact a professional contractor/drywaller
for any larger repairs, unless you are confident in your ability to handle it
yourself. Drywall finishing is something of an art form (in my book at least)
and I have encountered far too many botched do-it-yourself jobs to prescribe
the “fix-it-yourself” method.
Priming
Once you have patched your walls, priming is the next step in preparing them
for paint. Primer bonds to your current surface and gives you a perfect base to
paint on. Primer may be unnecessary if you are using Latex Paint to paint over
a previous low-gloss latex paint.
Even if your surfaces are already painted with a low-gloss, latex paint and do
not require priming, you should apply primer to any areas that are patched with
spackling. These areas will appear glossy even after painting if they are not
spot-primed.
Taping
Taping is another necessary evil of preparing for paint. Taping off baseboards,
woodwork, light switches, outlets, ceilings, adjoining walls, etc, is the best
way to protect those surfaces you do not intend to paint.
Use only “painter’s tape”. It is blue and available at nearly any paint, home
improvement, or hardware store. Any other tape may damage your surfaces when
you attempt to remove it. Painter’s Tape is low tack and can usually be removed
without incident within two weeks of application.
Taping can be very painstaking work. Apply it so the edge is flush against the
surface to be painted, then press down along that border with a putty knife to
seal the adhesive. This will help keep paint from seeping behind your tape.
Once you have finished taping off all areas, you are ready to begin painting.
Take a deep breath. The hardest part is already done.
About The Author
Adam Smith is a professional painter and faux finisher. He
runs an informational "how-to" site on interior painting and faux
finishing for do-it-yourselfers at http://www.how-to-faux-finish.com/.
