The Right Way to Prep a House for Painting

Prep a House for Painting – Preparation a house is one of the most overlooked and ignored steps when it comes to painting. 

Learning proper paint preparation after you’ve already started the job will cost you time, money and will lead to a sub-par finish.

Preparing your home before the paint even hits the wall is a critical step in the renovation process. Here is what you need to know to prepare your home for a fresh coat of paint.

Importance of Preparing your Home for Painting

How Much Paint for Home Painting?

Sounds simple but this is a time and money saver. You don’t want to spend more on paint than you need and running out mid-job means time wasted to get more.

A rough rule-of-thumb is that 1 gallon of paint will cover about 350 square feet. You’ll need more if you’re painting bare drywall which absorbs more paint, are painting several coats or are covering the old paint that is darker. So, the first step of preparing your home for painting as a DIY project is to estimate how much paint you need for painting.

How to Prep a House for Painting Project

Remove Hardware before painting

When preparing your home, the first step once you’re ready is to remove all hardware from the walls such as:

• Electrical plug covers
• Cable and phone outlet covers
• Curtains
• All pictures and artwork
• Nails
• Light fixtures if you’re painting the ceiling

Splatter Prevention

Paint is messy, so you’ll need to prep a house before start painting it by drop sheets all along the walls and floors. Tape them down so that they stay in place. Next you’ll need to apply painters tape around all moldings, window frames and door frames to prevent stray paint.

Also any furniture should be removed if possible and if not then tightly covered to protect them. Any furniture that can’t be removed should be organized in the center of the room to keep the areas around the walls clear.

Wall Preparation for Painting

Many people make the mistake and start painting after removing hardware and laying drop sheets and tape. But preparing your home for painting ha not finished yet.

It is very important to prepare the walls to ensure imperfections are fixed and you get the most durable hold for your paint.

• Inspect walls for cracks and holes. Repair any damage with a spackling compound using a putty knife. Spread the compound over the defect several times and scrape off the excess. Allow it to dry according to the product’s instructions. Then use a fine-grit sandpaper (150-200 grit) and smooth it out until there is a seamless transition to the original wall.
• Wash the walls. Washing the walls is very important to remove grease and dust which will seriously compromise the life of your paint if you ignore this step. If the walls are very dirty you may need to start with a chemical cleaner like Tri-Sodium Phosphate. After, rinse all walls with clean water and a sponge.
• Allow your walls to properly dry before applying your primer or paint.

Whether you’re tackling a house painting job yourself or hiring someone, always ensure that proper paint preparation is executed before starting any house paint job.

Prep a House for Painting in Summary

Removing hardware and protecting surfaces will prevent paint splatter and make cleanup easy, while cleaning walls will ensure you get the longest life out of your paint. That will give you the best paint finish and save you money in the long-run.

If all the preparing your home for painting process seems overwhelming and makes you nervous, Home Painters Toronto is there to answer all your questions and concerns about how to Prep House for Painting .

Call us at anytime to schedule a FREE, no obligation, in-home or Online consultation. We will come to your home and walk you through all the options to prepare your home and to renew the look of your home.

And while prep a house for painting is one thing, choosing the right colour is a whole other ballgame. Our professional and trained colour consultants can show you how different colours can dramatically change the mood and even the value of your home.

We’ve helped thousands of clients bring out the best in their homes in Toronto and the GTA. You can check out what they’re saying about Home Painters Toronto at HomeStars.com.

So call 416.494.9095 or email us at Brian@HomePaintersToronto.com to schedule your FREE, in-home consultation today and let our over 25 years experience go to work for you and explain you the process of preparing your home for painting.