A Professional Painting Project Starts With Proper Preparation

Every Brooklyn homeowner will paint their home at some point. Painting your home is a great home improvement project. A fresh coat of paint adds to the home’s curb appeal and just makes the home look nicer. There is a lot that goes into getting a good coat of paint on a home, but the most important and often most overlooked aspect is surface preparation. A professional paint project has to start with a solid foundation. If the surface is not ready for the paint, the job will come out poorly.

Clean the Surface You Will Paint Thoroughly.
Properly cleaning a wall to prepare for painting involves much more than simply spraying it with a garden hose. For home improvement painting to come off well, the surface needs to be really clean. First, wash the surface thoroughly, preferably with a pressure washer and a mild detergent. Once you have washed the walls, scrape them to remove any old paint flakes, clinging plant debris or other large defects. Then wash the walls once more and finish with a rinse.

Repair the Cracks, Scratches, Chips and Dings.
Over time, all surfaces suffer damage. Things bang into them or fall against them and time takes its toll. Use a quality filler designed specifically for your surface material and fill in any blemishes according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Sand the filled areas smooth. Start with a coarse sanding material, then move through a medium sander to a final finishing sander. When complete the surface should be smooth. Be sure to allow the filler enough time to cure fully before sanding and prepping.

Add a Quality Base Coat to the Surface.
Homeowners frequently neglect the base coat and some paint products even claim to serve as their own base coat, suggesting that a primer is not needed. However, if your surface is bare untreated wood, you must apply a base to protect it. If you are painting over old paint, a primer will prepare the surface for a successful new paint coating. Do not neglect this step. All surfaces should be rubbed or scraped following each undercoating to prepare the undercoating to bond with the next coat or with the paint.

Once your wall surfaces are properly prepared you are on your way to a truly professional home improvement paint project. Do not be afraid to add a second coat, even if your paint label says it covers in a single coat. Two coats of paint will last longer and look better. For a seriously professional paint job, consider getting some free quotes from painting contractors in the Brooklyn contractors network.