Cleaning, Scraping, Sanding, Taping & More; Preparation Tips for Interior & Exterior Painting Projects in Ventura, CA
There many reasons to hire a professional painter to paint your home or commercial business. A lot of those primary reasons stem from the need for proper preparation for new paint on an established house or other building. There are many more steps involved than you might first think. Even though professional painters like McKay’s Painting make it look easy, it’s hard work; and even harder for the novice that doesn’t have the needed equipment, tools, knowledge and experience!
Stucco, Brick & Wood Siding & Exteriors for Paint
Exterior house prep starts with the removal of old peeling and curling flaky paint. First wood in contact with concrete in a wet climate is always wet. Concrete holds water and then releases it slowly. Thus, paint at the base of wood trim and moldings are always damp breaking down the adhesion of the paint to the wood. Try to create a gab between trim and concrete to prevent peeling and curling paint. Paintable water repellent can be applied to lengthen the life of wood trim. The paint is scraped away using a scraper and sandpaper used to feather the edges of any paint that defies the scraper.
How to Tell if Wood is Rotted
Probe dark gray or black spots with a nail to check for rot. If the nail can pushed into the wood by hand, this indicates wood rot. Failure to penetrate indicates discolored but sound wood. Sand the area down to clean natural wood and paint. Discolored wood will not hold paint. Most of the above steps apply to wood sided structures as well.
Preparing Stucco for Paint
Stucco houses have their own rules. Inspection for any patches or cracks the need repair. A pressure washer will remove dirt, grime and old paint. Of course the trim will follow the above recommendations. New stucco needs to cure for at least 60 days before paint application. The application of paint requires long nap rollers for rough stucco finishes and will use more material, i.e. paint. Smoother finishes use shorter nap and less paint. But ideal stucco paint applications are use of the sprayer. It is faster, uses less paint to cover and is a top tool for the professional.
Tricks for Taping Before Painting
The windows, doors, and trim need to be covered to obtain crisp painting results a professional has to offer. Small gaps and cracks (eighth of an inch or smaller) need to be caulked with paintable exterior grade caulk. Caulking is also applied to door and window trim edges. Repair a large cracks or spalling, again best left to the professional for proper results.
Interior Wall & Ceiling Preparation Before Painting
Going to paint the inside of your house, you need to prepare the room(s) for painting. Best practice is removing all the furniture from the room to be painted. Dust and clean the wall. For most surfaces a towel or vacuum cleaner will suffice. Bathroom walls need to be cleaned with a solution of about three teaspoons of laundry detergent to one gallon of water. Like the exterior, any cracked, peeling or flaking paint needs to be scraped with a paint scraper. Drive any nails and leave a dimple to be filled with spackle and sanded. A primer will cover many flaws and will prevent bleed through bright colors left on the wall previously. Light switch covers, wall lights or fixtures should be masked as well as the trim.
Interior & Exterior Painting in Ventura, Ojai, Newbury Park, Westlake Village, Camarillo, Thousand Oaks & Agoura Hills California
As can be seen there is a lot of work involved in painting the interior or exterior of a house or commercial building. For best results, engage a professional from McKay’s Painting. It will save time, money, energy and stress in the long run. Contact us for all your painting needs!
