A Closer Look at Interior Painting
There is much that goes into interior painting. When it comes to painting the interiors many homeowners feel quite confident to tackle this task by themselves – severely underestimating just how much time and labor is involved. I dare say, a good percentage of those DIYers end up regretting not having hired a professional. After all, there is a lot of work that goes into painting, starting with preparation. Another reason why many wish they had hired a contractor is the less than perfect end result. Let me paint you a picture for you of what goes into repainting the interiors.
1) Room Preparation
Before you can even think about opening a can of paint you will need to perform a thorough job preparation.
- Empty the space of as many furnishings as you can – at a minimum pile everything up in the center of the room and protect with plastic sheeting to protect them from paint splatter.
- Remove window treatments, drapery hardware, pictures, picture hooks, light fixtures, ceiling fan blades, switchplates, outlet covers, towel bars, and area rugs. No matter how steady your hand, small drips, and spills are inevitable. Leaving them there will just make the job more difficult and time-consuming. Be sure to label everything and put loose pieces in a labeled ziplock bag. If you must leave ceiling fixtures or wall sconces in place, protect them with plastic bags secured in place with tape.
- Loosen the trim pieces of ceiling-mounted fixtures and slide them down the fixture away from the ceiling. Wrap them in plastic. Never allow a fixture to hang from its wiring—the wires are not designed to hold weight and could malfunction later.
- If you’re painting doors, remove knobs and locksets and save them in a labeled plastic bag.
- Tape off to protect what is not to be painted. Paint bleeds do happen no matter how good you are.
- Set up a work station. It is always good to have everything in one place.
- Put plenty of drop cloths in place. Don’t skimp, you don’t want to have to reposition the drop cloths as you paint your way around a room. If you do, you risk transferring wet paint splatters from the cloth to carpeting, flooring, or nearby surfaces. Heavy-duty canvas or cloths backed with a plastic coating works best as no paint will seep through to the carpet or floor below. Plastic drop cloths are a good and cheaper option but tend to be slippery.
2) Proper Wall Preparation for a Professional Finish
The end result is only as good as the wall preparation that goes into the job. You may need to:
- Scrape off peeling or loose paint with a plastic putty knife.
- Sand the scraped areas using 220-grit sandpaper so they are level with surrounding surfaces.
- Use a small wire brush or toothbrush to remove debris from nail holes, cracks, and larger fissures.
- Patch smaller cracks and holes with lightweight spackling compound. Press the spackling compound across surface imperfections with a putty knife, making sure spackle fills the holes or cracks. Let dry and sand smooth.
- For larger holes, use drywall patching kits.
- If wood surfaces are to be painted, caulk all gaps between the trim and the walls and fill in nail holes with wood putty. Let dry and sand as needed.
- Sand walls and ceilings to scuff up the old paint if you’re applying low-gloss paint to high-sheen surfaces. This will make the new paint adhere.
- Wash or wipe all sanded areas with a clean cloth to remove any particles.
- Wash down greasy walls (kitchen) with TSP to remove grime, grease, oils, and mildew.
- Finally, give the entire room a thorough dusting and cleaning with a clean dust mop. You can do this by attaching a towel to a broom head with a rubber band so that no cobweb, dust ball, or hair gets stuck in freshly applied paint. Make sure that all debris is removed from the walls, ceiling, baseboards, and window trim. Then rinse all cleaned surfaces with water. Let dry before painting.
- Mask of areas not to be painted. Invest in high-quality painter masking tape to avoid bleeds. Be sure to remove air bubbles and seal the edges to prevent drips and ensure sharp lines. A putty knife works best.
After reading this I am sure that you will agree just the prep alone takes a whole day. Now, finally, let’s paint – which is really the easiest part of the whole job ~ if you know what you are doing.
3) Let’s Paint
Here are some practical tips:
- Prep the paint. There are a few things you can add to your paint to help it perform best in different areas of your home. These additives can help with insulation, mildew resistance, and fireproofing.
- Stir the paint thoroughly for at least 2-5 minutes. If the paint was not mixed thoroughly, all of its components will not be blended affecting the color and consistency display on your wall.
- Start with a primer. A primer covers flaws in the surface and gives you a smooth, long-lasting finish. You could use paint-and-primer-in-one mixes if the old surface was painted previously, has a flat (non-glossy) finish, and is in good shape. But if you’re painting over plaster, concrete, wood, glossy paint, or stained/porous drywall, I recommend using a stand-alone primer or a premium all-in-one mix specifically designed to cover unpainted surfaces.
- Always start on the top. Paint the ceiling first if you are repainting the ceiling. If you are only painting the walls start near the ceiling and work your way down; that way you can catch drips as you work.
- Don’t use flat paint over high-gloss paint unless sanded first.
- Use washable satins or semi-gloss paint in high-traffic areas and the bathrooms and kitchen. As an alternative, you can also consider a durable premium matte finish such as Benjamin Moore’s Regal Classic Premium Interior Paint or Behr Marquee Interior Paint & Primer.
- Don’t load your brush or roller too heavily. In the case of the paintbrush, dipping it a third of the way in will do the trick.
- Wait for dry weather. Humidity means drips and slow drying.
4) The Clean-up
Obviously! After the paint has dried thoroughly you can carefully remove all masking tape and drop cloths taking great care not to contaminate flooring or carpets with paint. You can also re-attach all that had to be removed carefully, put furnishings back into place, and admire your work.
By now you probably are getting the idea of just how much work and time is needed to repaint your interior walls. With that said, allow us to paint an alternative picture – hiring a professional interior painting contractor in Fairfield and nearby.
Here are the time and money-saving benefits you can expect:
A Seasoned Team – to handle all of the space clearing and prep work for you. Having a team at your disposal also means that the job can be done in a couple of days versus a week.
Customized Interior Painting – We can help you pick out the “right” colors and wall designs to create the look you envisioned.
Best Tools and Equipment – To achieve the best possible results you also need the best tools and equipment for the job. At Universal Painting Contractors, we believe in providing our people with the best tools, and that makes all the difference.
Two Coats of Paint – It is industry best practice to apply two coats of paint for that flawless finish for interiors. Some areas also require a primer coat. We meticulously follow this practice in every project we undertake, for long-lasting surface protection and looks.
Least Disruption – Getting a new interior paint job done can be a real nuisance. Years of experience have taught us many tricks to keep disruption at a minimum. Our crews have been trained to ensure that our customers have a pleasant experience with our service. We will make sure that they are comfortable while we give their space a total make-over. You will be pleased.
Why are we the Preferred Interior Painting Contractor in Fairfield and Surrounding Areas?
Transparent Pricing – Unfortunately, some interior painting contractors will give you a low estimate just to get the job. But when it’s all said and done you end up paying more. We don’t do that. Our written quote will include a detailed break-down of the work we will do for a satisfactory end result and the final bill will contain no additional hidden charges.
Adhere to Agreed Upon Schedule – We understand how important your time is. Therefore, once we mutually agree upon a schedule, our crew will arrive on time and get the job done without further delay.
During and After Job Clean-Ups. Our crew is trained to clean-up and not leave messed behind. The goal is that when a job is completed you won’t even know that we were there.
Outstanding Results – Big promises are meaningless if they are not backed by great results. At UPC Paint, we strongly believe in getting you the end-result that you desire. To this end, our staff is highly trained in all aspects of painting and won’t practice on you. We only use top-quality paints and materials, and practice industry and Covid safety standards. Our track record gives us the confidence to proudly say that we are the industry leaders in interior painting in Fairfield. Give us a call for your next interior painting project at (707) 427-0445, you’ll be glad you did.
