proper prep makes paint last longer

If you’ve decided that an indoor or outdoor paint job is at the top of your project list, there’s something we believe you must know before you get started.

A paint job is only as good as the steps you took to prepare for it. Thorough and proper paint preparation is the key to a professional-looking paint job that will last.

What we’re saying is that before you do anything else, you need to make sure you’re intended surfaces are prepared correctly to ensure a beautiful, long-lasting finish. We’ve seen many attempts at painting that were performed with very little or no paint preparation at all and the results were disappointing at best.
We’ve heard it said that once you apply a coat of paint onto a surface, it’s like a magnifying glass was put over it. That statement is very accurate. The smallest imperfections and mistakes, dirt, grime, whatever, come shining out at you like a spotlight! Careless paint preparation can result in poor paint performance, costly repaints due to shorter life cycles of the paint, and peeling or bubbling paint.

Things you should do in order to ensure to prep an Interior paint job…

• • Clear intended work space of furniture, and other stuff.
  • Remove all wall (receptacle) and switch plates, and any hardware
  • Scrape/Sand peeling paint and dirt spots on surfaces
  • Fill and caulk all holes and small cracks
  • Thoroughly clean the surfaces of dust (basic paint preparation!)
  • Protect surfaces and areas you don’t want paint on.
  • Prime any newly repaired surface (especially new drywall or bare wood)

On Exterior painting you should…

• • Thoroughly clean all surfaces with low pressure and a mixture of bleach and mild detergent to kill mildew and remove dirt.
  • Scrape and sand to smooth failing paint areas and create a tight edge.
  • Prime bare areas and scraped areas.
  • Caulk as needed.
  • Protect anything that does not paint.
  • Obviously there may be many other types of prep that may need to be completed depending on the project at hand. This is a general overview of some of the main steps that are typically completed on a quality paint job.

Without preparation like pressure cleaning, scraping, sanding to a tightly adherent feathered edge, etc…. no matter how expensive the paint is, it is not going to last!

We know proper paint preparation is not fun. It’s dirty, and it is time consuming. Let us do it for you!

Give Custom Coatings a call at 828-326-0953 when you’re ready for your next paint project. Our trained paint professionals know all the right steps to take in order to ensure the finest quality and longest lasting paint job possible. We’ll be happy to provide you with a free detailed estimate and set up a time to complete your project.