Preparing Your Home for Painting
Painting is a home maintenance task that many of us think we can tackle on our own, but in truth, if you want the highest quality work and the most professional outcome … well, it’s best to hire a professional painter. When speaking with potential painting companies, ask about their preparation process. While most companies will do it all, others may have a few requests for you. Regardless, there are a several things you can do to better prepare your home for a professional painting crew.
Remove valuable items. As a safety precaution, you’ll want to take down any fine pieces of art, family heirlooms or fragile items that could get damaged during the painting process.
Pull furniture to the center of the room. If you have large, heavy items, your professional painter will likely bring the manpower to help you move them and properly cover them. But small pieces can be draped in sheets or drop cloths before the painters’ arrival to expedite this process.
Ensure the home is easily navigable. Pick up kids’ toys, move pet beds and clear corners of potted plants before the painters arrive. The home should be tidy and spaces easily navigable.
Ask about cleaning requirements. For interior and exterior painting alike, it’s important that walls are dust free, cobwebs are removed and the surfaces are clean and primed for painting. If your painting company performs these pre-cleaning services for you, great; however, if it’s not part of the package, this is something you’ll want to tackle before the painters arrive at the home.
Think about ventilation. Having proper ventilation is crucial while painting a home. Consider which rooms are being painted; check to make sure the windows open; ensure the home’s vents are clean and working properly; and consider providing some sort of fan or air purifier just to keep the air circulating.
Pre-test your paint colors. It can be incredibly frustrating to go through the painting process only to dislike the end result. Test several color options from small, sample cans of paint on the wall. Try to find an inconspicuous place to do this, but be sure to paint a swatch large enough to give you a good idea of what the end product will look like. And, be sure to show your painter where you did this so he or she can be thorough about covering the test area when doing the final job.
Adding a fresh coat of paint to your home is a wonderful way to spruce up your space and give it a clean, renewed appearance. Proper preparation helps ensure the process goes smoothly and the end result meets expectations.
The Paint Doctor is a licensed, fully insured and proven painting contractor. For more information or an estimate, call us at (404) 524-8283, or click here to send us an email.
