|
Preparing to
Paint: Interior
Before putting your brush to
the wall, you’re aiming for a smooth, clean, dry surface
for the paint to adhere effectively. So prepare for a
lasting result. Here is a step-by-step preparation for
interior painting. As you go along, remember to check off
each point.
Clear the canvas. Cover furniture and floors.
Remove pictures, accessories, lamps, and everything else.
Roll up area rugs and cover. Use drop cloths on remaining
furniture and carpeting and take down draperies. Don’t use
newspaper to cover carpets or fabrics, the ink will stay
behind.
Remove hardware
Forget painting around switch and socket plates, door
knobs and lock plates. Loosen set screws and lower ceiling
light fixtures. This will save you valuable time and
headaches from trying to paint around them.
Strip old peeling, flaking paint
Scrape away with putty knife or scraper and sand smooth.
Use liquid paint remover for thicker or stubborn coats
making sure you follow manufacturer’s suggestions. Finish
with sandpaper when dry. To save some time on large
surfaces, like doors, you may need a belt or orbital
sander.
Cover cracks and holes
Fill in nail holes, cracks and joint gaps with patching
paste or compound. Large holes require plaster anchored by
wire screen or "hardware cloth." Sand smooth and level
with adjacent surfaces. Large repaired areas require a
primer, while small areas can be spotprimed with your
finish paint.
Wallpaper
Remove with chemical wallpaper remover or a rented
steamer. Once the paper is off, residual paste must also
be removed. While it’s safer to remove wallcoverings, in
some cases you can paint over the paper, as long as it has
been firmly applied and has no surface irregularities. If
necessary, all loose edges should be re-pasted down. A
word of caution: metallic papers and some dyes can "bleed"
through. Make sure you test a small area before
proceeding.
Taping edges
Applying masking tape around the edges of glass and trim
saves a lot of time and aggravation in the long run.
Clean slate
Wash down walls and trim to remove any dust and dirt. If
walls are especially dirty use T.S.P ( Enamelled surfaces
should be thoroughly sanded before painting to ensure your
new coat of paint adheres well.) |
