Top Tips to Prepare the Surface Before Painting

If you are looking to freshen up the look of your house, painting is an easy option. A fresh coat of paint can give your old house an outstanding look and increase its curb-appeal. The success of any paint job depends on proper surface preparation. It is important to prep the surface so that the paint adheres to the surface well.

Cleaning the Surface:

Surface preparation typically means filling, sanding the surface and even cleaning of all dirt, mildew and grease from the walls. If you have bare wood or plaster to paint, it’s often easier to find out what needs to be filled after applying a coat of paint. You need to check whether the walls have any cracks or holes and repair the same accordingly. You can use quick-drying wall fillers to fill the holes and cracks of the surfaces. It is also important to properly sand the area once the filling is complete. Quick-drying fillers dry in no time and require very little or no sanding. On the other hand wood fillers dry almost instantly, but usually need to be sanded.

Priming the Surface:

Another important aspect of surface preparation is priming. By applying a good quality primer onto the surface, you can ensure that the topcoat of paint has the maximum chance of adhering to the surface. Priming also ensures that the paint job will last longer. There are some particular rules of priming. For example, shiny surfaces usually need to be sanded and cleaned off well before applying primer. This makes the shiny surface matt so the coat of paint will adhere to the surface well. Ceiling, tiles, wood cabinets etc are not the easiest surfaces to prime and paint, but if you use the right products and professionals, you shouldn’t have a problem. You can consider hiring the professional painting contractors in Andover MA in this regard.

Sanding Between Coats of Paints:

Although it is little time-consuming, some painting professionals prefer to lightly sand and wipe off the dirt between each coats of paint, especially when working with wood and MDF. This is the best way to get a good finish. It is also important to use a good quality sealer to seal and prepare the surface. Sealing provides better adhesion for the topcoat and it helps the paint to dry very fast. Sometimes, new plaster is really absorbent and sucks up water. The best way to seal it is to use watered-down emulsion to seal it before painting.