In residential painting, the process of painting a wall or a room is not just about putting on the paint. There is plenty else to think about to ensure that you are getting the job done right, and that you get a great result. The better the preparation work, the more likely you are to have a good time with the painting. There is a four point preparation plan that you need to apply to the walls that you will be painting, even after you have put the dust sheets down! Have a look over the following steps, and think carefully about how you will be applying them to your painting process.
WASHING
First off is washing. This bit is a pain, as it can get messy and takes a bit of a while. You will need sugar soap, water and sponges. You might be thinking that washing the walls is stupid because you will be painting over the dirt, but in fact, the dirt will often come loose form the wall, causing the paint to change color slightly in those places, which will give you an uneven finish. Whilst it may not be that obvious after the paint has dried, it will make the room seem less nicely done, and perhaps a little dirty. Do not apply too much water to the walls, and keep refreshing your sponge with sugar soap water to ensure that the dirt is coming off of it each time, as otherwise you will end up spreading more around the walls!
FILLING
Filling in any holes that you have had in the walls is the first step towards a smooth finish. It is worth doing this if you have had pictures, mirrors or shelves and hooks up on the walls, as the drill holes will often be pretty noticeable. However, if you are going to reuse the holes to put a shelf or hanging back up, then it is worth leaving them in place, as filling them and screwing back into the poly filler is a waste of time, and may well be weaker than before. Apply the poly filler with a flat edged scraper, so that the area is as flat to the wall as possible.
SANDING
When the filler has dried, you can sand it down, to really get it looking smooth. This is essentially a process that you should repeat across the walls, to ensure that any previous lumps and bumps from the last time the wall was painted have gone. You will most likely find that a fine grade of sand paper will do the trick nicely, as you will not have to worry about going too far with the sanding. However, you should still be careful when you are doing so, because the likely hood is that getting too enthusiastic with it will make large holes and rough patches that will only need to be filled in again!
MASKING
Masking off edges is a laborious process, and if you have a lot of complex painting to do around pipe work and the like, then it can be more hassle than it is worth! Ensure that your masking tape is fine to peel off nicely when you have finished – some tape brands have a set amount of time that you can leave it in place before it becomes hard and if this happens, it can sometimes pull the paint underneath it off when you remove it. Be sure not to rely on the tape too much when you are paining, as the paint can seep under, making a mess.
This article is contributed by: Battersea handyman services
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