Is it time for you to revamp your house with new paint? Adding a fresh coat of paint inside your home can work wonders for your mood, as well as a return on investment with the right interior painters. When you hire professionals to do the work for you, rest assured they go through a thorough prep process and there’s a reason for that. According to This Old House, a paint job should last 10 to 20 years with the right prep. That’s why you should find the right contractors for the job. When you hire a dependable team, here are some ways you can expect them to prepare for your interior paint project.
Pick Out the Paint
Before any painting begins, you should have already consulted with the team about what color you prefer. They’ll use the preferred hue you picked from several swatches. They’ll gather enough paint and bring them to your home. Paint used in your home may be oil-water-based pigments. Such paints can differ based on their sheen. Your interior painters may use a semi-gloss, matte, gloss, or enamel sheen paint. The type of sheen you choose depends on your personal preferences, but your interior painters will discuss that with you beforehand
In addition to paint, they need tools. Several tools go into making your interior paint project a success. Your painters will gather items such as brushes, tape, rollers, scrapers, and other tools to prepare, paint, and seal walls.
Protect Furniture
Your professional interior painters are well aware of how far paint can splatter. Rest assured, they’ll do all they can to protect your items in the room. All furniture will be moved away from the walls. Don’t worry about things that may have to remain stationary, such as a mounted TV. They know how to cover up things such as that. All items in the room will have a cover consisting of either plastic or a tarp that paint can’t puncture.
Did you forget about the photos and paintings on your walls? If you forgot to take them down, no worries. Painters will carefully bring them down and put them in a safe spot and cover them up as well.
Do a Visual Inspection
Once painters have a clear view of your walls, they can do a visual inspection. At this point, they can see if anything needs repairing or if they have to remove existing paint or wallpaper. After that, they can make a plan to prepare the walls and remove anything necessary
Remove Existing Layer
As mentioned, no interior painter will simply repaint over an existing paint job. Now’s the time to remove any wallpaper or paint that’s already on the surface. They have to scrape the existing paint or wallpaper off with the right tools. Even if painters are simply repainting your walls with the existing color that’s there now, they’ll still remove the existing paint. Simply adding more paint to an existing old paint job on a dirty wall won’t add to its longevity.
Clean Walls
Now is the time to give the walls a good washing. The purpose of washing the walls is to remove any dust, dirt, or grime. Removing these elements makes it easier for paint, primer, and repairs to adhere to the surface. It would be a shame to put high-quality paint on an unprepared wall just to see it soak in or peel off. You don’t have to worry about that with a well-experienced interior painting team.
Make Repairs
Unfortunately, your interior walls may have suffered damage over the years. Whether you were moving furniture, have pets, or have children that have made dents, these issues will be handled before your high-quality paint goes on the surface. There are all sorts of issues that may exist ranging from small cracks to holes in your drywall. They may have to fill in those cracks and holes with resin, speckle, steel wool, or repair mesh. Their repair solution depends on the type and size of damage that they see.
Sand Surface
Sanding is a great way to help the paint and primer adhere to the surface. After repairs have been completed and have dried properly, workers will use fine-grit sandpaper all over the walls. Sanding is also a great way to help get rid of dirt and junk left behind after washing. If the surface has any gloss, it removes all of that. If the surface appears uneven, they may use grit sandpaper or a sanding block.
Tape Off Corners
Have you ever looked at a professional paint project and wondered how it could look so immaculate? The method to create that perfect appearance involves taping off corners. Interior painters will use tape on all the edges and corners where the paint isn’t supposed to go. The tape allows them to paint quicker as they don’t have to obsess over staying within the lines and not painting over trimming or the floor.
Prime Surface
Before painters use paint on your interior walls, they often prime the surface. Once everything is taped and covered up, they can now bust out the primer and start covering all the surfaces that paint will go on. The point of the primer is to create a uniform surface for the paint to adhere to. In some cases, it can also reduce the number of coats of paint needed. Primer is the main reason your interior paint can last as long as it does. So if your interior paint work ends up lasting as long as 20 years, it’s because a professional team of experts is using the methods above.
Paint
Many things can affect how long it takes for your primer to dry. The drying time can depend on the humidity, room temperature, surface, and type of primer painters are using. That’s why many people like to do paint projects in the summer, as natural heat can cause the dry time to speed up. The average wait time can be anywhere from one to four hours. Once the primer has dried, it’s time for the main job, applying the paint. A professional crew will apply one coat of paint and wait for it to dry. They then will add another layer and wait for that to dry. Depending on the surface and the type of paint used, they may have to add another layer or two. In the end, you’ll have beautifully painted new walls that look brand-new.
As you can see, an experienced interior painting crew does more than just put a coat of paint on your walls. There is so much work and prep that go into achieving a perfect paint project. That’s why you should always hire a reliable team that’s been in the business for a long time. A home improvement project doesn’t have to be daunting. At Everything Drywall and Paint, we pride ourselves on delivering beautiful work to high-end clients. With over 15 years in business, we are proud to offer interior painting, exterior painting, drywall repair, and wallpaper removal to homeowners. Our design team and contractors are well-versed and ready to transform your space. Whether you’re looking to paint one room or your entire home, we’ve got you covered. Give us a call today to book your free estimate!