A Discussion On Prep Work
“Great Prep makes for a great paint job”
Filling nail holes, caulking around trim, sanding out rough spots, and more make the difference in a decent paint job to a great paint job. When following another painter’s work you have two choices. You can follow the previous painter’s mistakes and have a finished product that resembles their work, just a different color. Or you can do a thorough prep job which can include sanding, caulking, spackling, wall repair and more to have a finished painting project that looks like a professional painting contractor did it. Repainting the ceilings and trim, in addition to the walls, are sometimes the only way to cover up bad paint jobs.
Some of the suggestions below are from our painting experience; however, they are what work for us. Other professional painters may do things differently because it works for them. As a painting contractor in Louisville, KY we are still discovering ways to improve our painting processes either through some else’s experience or especially as new painting products become available.
Patience is most important when preparing for a good paint job. It takes a little time, but is well worth it.
Scraping – Usually scraping is for exterior painting work. How much to scrape depends on the project at hand.
A repaint on wood siding or the like, usually calls for scraping off the loose paint and then sanding the rough surfaces, paint peels and cracks. Some surfaces call for repair work, especially older wood or damaged stucco. Replacing rotten wood and crumbling surfaces is recommended over simply patching the area. As painters, we will call on a carpenter for any but the simplest wood replacement.
Refinishing a door is another project that usually takes a lot of scraping, sanding, possibly a paint stripping product. It is very satisfying making an old painted door look like new.
A heavy duty scraper is a must and the ones with titanium blades seem to perform better.
Sanding – There are always surfaces to sand when taking on painting projects. Whether sanding a painted surface to better hold paint, or smoothing out a wall in between paint coats. There are often areas where paint drips have dried, caulk has accumulated and walls were not sanded before being painted.
Many painting contractors use palm sanders for projects as it saves a lot of time. However, palm sanders do not work well for sanding spackling or drywall repair. A pole sander is a must if doing a lot of drywall repair. A palm sander will leave a finer finish with a heavier grit than hand sanding with a heavier grit. Several different grits (roughness) of paper should be on hand regardless of the method used.
Caulking – “With enough caulk and paint I can build a house.” Caulk will fill gaps between trim, keep out weather and more. A tube of caulk should be on every paint jobs material list. There are several types of caulk to choose from. Most professional painters use paintable 45+ year caulk (usually contains some silicone, but make sure it is paintable), the brand you choose is not as critical but 20 or 25 year caulk does not perform like 45+ year caulk.
A bucket of water and a rag are a must when caulking. Lay bead of caulk in the cracks to be filled and then smooth with your finger (wiping your finger off with the wet rag). It takes some practice. Sometimes it helps to wet your finger before smoothing out the caulk. Sometimes it helps to run a damp rag over the bead of caulk and then smooth with finger (I do not use this method if the caulk is being used for keeping out weather or water). It takes a little patience while perfecting your own method.
Spackling – For small nail holes or nicks in the wall a quick drying light weight spackle will do the trick. For larger holes or dents (1/2” or bigger) we prefer a regular spackle or even drywall compound, the finish is better, though it does longer to dry. It takes a little practice to fill a hole smooth, it may take a couple of applications and some sanding. Different products perform differently, so once again some practice and patience is called for.
A lot of Painting Contractors use glazing compound mixed with whiting for filling nail holes in wood. There are lots of products out there that will work, but this what we use.
Pressure Washing – Paint does not adhere well to dirty surfaces. Anytime one paints the exterior of a house, we recommend pressure washing to clean the surfaces. They can be rented from several different sources or purchased at any hardware store or home improvement box retailer. If you cannot reach all surfaces from the ground, then hiring a professional painting contractor is highly recommended for safety reasons.
Taping – Taping off surfaces can save a lot of headaches and clean up after painting. Paint Contractors use tape a lot when painting around stained trim. Drips and specks are often unavoidable when rolling paint on walls. When the trim is painted, a lot of professional painters find it faster to come back and touch up the trim or paint the trim last to take care of any specks or drips. This is not a hard fast rule and different circumstance call for taping. Some painting contractors use painters tape on just about everything. Taping any adjacent area to the surface being painted will save later headaches or touch up.
Some cheaper painting tapes bleed more than others so buy the good stuff.
