The best way to prep a house for painting
Whether you prefer to do-it-yourself or have instructed a professional decorator, you will need to spend some time preparing your home ahead of your decorating starting to make it easier to get your project completed. Preparation is key to having a positive experience as well as saving you time and money. Here are our tips to ensure your painting project runs smoothly.
Move and protect your furniture
Remove small items of furniture such as coffee tables, bedside tables and dining chairs and store in another room. If you can completely clear the room of furniture this would be ideal, but it’s not always practical to remove large items such as beds and sofa’s. Those items can be pushed to the center of the room to allow enough space for you or your decorator to work around. You should protect these large items with a suitable dust sheet, if you are using a professional decorator they will provide these and do this for you.
Remove window dressings and wall hangings
Take down all blinds, curtains and poles and store in another room. This will make it much easier to paint around your windows and frames without the risk of paint damage to these expensive investments. Remove any pictures or mirrors you have hanging on the walls. If you aren’t sure whether they will go back up in the same place, the holes left from your fixtures can be filled and sanded ahead of starting to paint. If you are using a professional decorator, they will fill and sand all minor holes and cracks as part of their basic preparation.
Store and protect electrical items, soft furnishings and ornaments
Similarly, remove as many of your personal belongings as you can from the room being decorated. This includes lamps, TV’s, home accessories, rugs and houseplants. Don’t be tempted to leave soft furnishings such as duvets and cushions stored with your large items. There will always be an element of dust with preparation before painting that may result in these items needing to be laundered unnecessarily. Bear in mind it is possible for paint to spatter even when items are covered and protected, so it’s always best to remove as many of your home accessories as you can.
Prepare and clean your walls ready for painting
Cleaning your walls and woodwork ahead of painting will make a huge difference to the end result. Dirt, dust and stains can build up overtime without us realising and can be visible when the walls are repainted. Remove dust from behind radiators and take down any cobwebs, and then give everywhere a hoover, including the tops of skirting boards. Finally, use a sponge to wash down the surfaces that are being painted with diluted washing up liquid and hot water. For surfaces that have been exposed to more oil and grime, such as a kitchen walls, you may need to use a stronger grease-cutting detergent. Follow with clean water to remove any residual detergent.
Use of the room being decorated will be restricted for the duration of the project, so remember to remove anything that you may need as access may be difficult once work starts.
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