When painting a house, most people want to jump to the painting because it’s the “fun” part, which is true. It feels satisfying to dab a coat of new paint onto the walls, and it’s more fun when you’re working with different paint colors. But painting contractors in Alamo are aware that painting is no fun when the walls are dirty and damaged.
Preparing the surface can be the most tedious part of the project. It’s not fun removing the furniture, covering the floors, removing wall décor, then scrubbing the walls, letting them dry, fixing any rough spots, and priming them.
But surface prep is the key to achieving a smooth and long-lasting paint finish. It is not an optional step like what many novice painters believe. If you want your paint job to look good and last long, you have to prepare the surface well before you go to the painting part.
What happens if you skip preparing the surface? Here are the following consequences that may happen:
- Dirt will interfere the paint’s ability to stick to the walls. (Even if the walls don’t look dirty, you must still clean them – they may have accumulated lots of dust over time.)
- Flaws and other types of damage such as scratches, cracks, nail holes, etc., may show through the new paint.
- It will result in a host of issues, such as peeling and cracking of paint.
Prep work is more than mere cosmetic work. Moreover, it allows you to detect and address damage to the walls, and even deeper issues that may happening below the surface. Bigger imperfections may prevent your paint’s ability to stick to the surface.
Here are the general steps for successful surface preparation:
- Clean the walls and let them dry.
- Look for any flaws or damage to the surface.
- Fill any holes and cracks on the surface with joint compound. Let it dry thoroughly. Sand off the excess joint compound to make the surface smooth and even.
- As you make minor repairs, stay on the lookout for splitting, crumbling, or rotting wood. In this case, it’s better to replace the wood with new material.
- Prime the surface. This step is optional – if the surface has been previously painted, you may not need to prime it. But for certain types of surfaces, such as new, bare drywall, apply primer on them. After priming, let the walls dry completely before you can proceed to paint.
Priming can be a tedious and time-consuming job, but it helps you achieve amazing results when you’re painting interior or exterior surfaces. Moreover, prep work leads to durable, great-looking, and long-lasting results that you do not need to repaint the surface for several years.
Don’t hesitate to call or visit your local painting contractors in Alamo if you have more questions regarding surface prep work. Your home or business is your investment. A good paint job – which includes good, proper, and thorough prep work – will protect that investment for a long time.
