Prepping for Paint: Interior Painting Tips in New Jersey

When getting ready to launch an interior painting project, the end result is the great motivator.  After all, it’s the light at the end of the tunnel.  Unfortunately, though, some folks become so enamored with the idea of the way things will look when all is said and done that the best route to get there becomes less and less of a priority.  Whether you’re a novice painter trying to rid a room of an interior color that belongs in the Brady Bunch, or are a professional painter, slowing down to take a few preparatory precautions is well worth it.

Preparing the Interior Space for Paint

So often there is an unfortunate misconception that the more precautions you take, the less skilled a painter you are.  The truth is, professional painters and painting services take the time to prepare the space being painted, and so should non-professionals.  Furniture that can be removed easily should be, and those pieces that can’t should ideally be covered with drop cloths.  It is hugely helpful to remove fixtures as well, including outlet covers.  This may seem tedious (and in all honesty it can be!), but in the long run it will make for a smoother and faster painting experience.  The less detail work that needs to be done the better.

Painting tape is a wonderful tool as well, especially for painting around fixtures that can’t be removed.  When painting a space like a bathroom for example, the helpfulness of tape shines.  Be sure to take the time to apply the tape carefully, and to seal the edge of the tape thoroughly so that there isn’t a gap that any excess paint can squeeze through.

Preparing Your Interior Surface

Ask any professional painter, and they will tell you that preparing the surface is also hugely important.  Paint is unfortunately not a magic elixir that transforms walls.  If you have a dusty wall with a crack in the sheetrock and you paint it that beautiful blue that you were so excited to find, you will still have a dusty wall with a crack in it.  Only now the dust and crack are a beautiful blue (and the dust is permanently attached as an added bonus).  Before painting your interior wall, you should really take a moment and wipe it down with a damp cloth.  This will remove any dust and debris that may be clinging to it, along with spider webs.

While wiping down the walls, you can multitask by keeping an eye out for cracks, dents, or holes in the sheetrock.  These little blemishes pop up all the time (chairs knocked into kitchen walls, holes from wall hangings that were moved, etc…).  Just before painting is a great time to find them and fix them.  Consider it a full restoration for your wall.  Most of these fixes require nothing more than a small dab of spackle, time to dry, and then a light sanding to smooth the edges.  It also is very important, whether you are using primer or not, to paint primer at least over the spots you spackle.

 Need Professional Help?

Sometimes, due to time constraints or the extent of a project, it’s nice to call a professional painting service for help.  If you live in the New Jersey, Philadelphia, or Northern Delaware area, we hope you’ll consider giving us at Brennan’s Custom Painting a call.  We’d love to put our years of experience to work for you.  And, the best part is that we’ll do all the prep work for you!

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