The Right Way to Prep a House for 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?
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 painter’s 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.
• 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
• 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 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.
Image Gallery of a House Painting
If you reside in Toronto and the GTA and need some help figuring out the interior painting costs per square foot, don’t hesitate to call us! We will help you pick the colours you want and show you the latest painting and home renovation trends. Our home painting services with the best pro painters have been around now for over 30 years. Call 416.494.9095 or email [email protected] for a FREE quote for your home painting needs. And don’t forget to check us out on our social media channels below!
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From The Owner & Founder
BRIAN YOUNG
Hello and welcome!
I’m both deeply honoured and flattered you are considering using our services.
Since 1987 when I was at York University simply earning my way through school, I’ve had the privilege to meet and work with thousands of amazing homeowners like yourself.
Besides the birth of my daughter, there is nothing more satisfying than seeing a homeowner’s life change when we have transformed their dream home into a masterpiece. For that reason, we take our jobs very seriously and are committed to our cause.
At Home Painters our mission is to paint homeowners’ dreams, and make your painting experience last a lifetime!
I look forward to hopefully meeting you one day, as it brings me tremendous joy to make homeowner’s dreams come true.