As part of our “Tricks of the Trade” series, NJW, your Columbus Ohio remodelers, want to share some tips we have learned along the way. With these tips we hope to enable you to do some projects on your own and feel like a pro while doing them!

Preparing a room for painting is the single most important step when painting a room. Incomplete or improper preparation is the only way to fail before you even start. Proper preparation will save your time, money, and sanity in the long run.

  • Clear the room of all furnishings, decorations, light and outlet covers. The more you can get out of the room, the easier you’ll be able to move around…and the less you’ll have to worry about ruining with paint.
  • Give the room a thorough cleaning. Vacuum or mop floors. Wipe down any woodwork with a damp cloth. Remove cobwebs and dust…not that you would have either of those things.
  • Fill in any nail holes, small dents, hairline cracks, etc, with a lightweight spackle. Allow to dry per manufacturer’s instructions (usually 2-4 hours) then sand flush. Apply a second coat and sand if necessary.
  • Clean the walls/surfaces to be painted. This is especially important in kitchens and bathrooms, (especially after a bathroom and kitchen remodeling project) where different residues are commonly built up on the walls. A simple solution of dish-soap and water works wonderfully. A sponge headed mop is the easiest tool for scrubbing walls. Finish the walls with a quick rinse of plain water to remove any soap residue.
  • Priming is another important step in preparing walls for paint. If your walls are already covered in a low gloss, water-based paint, you can simply paint over the old paint. If you are painting over oil-based paint or a gloss or semi-gloss surface, you should prime. Also, whether you choose to prime your entire walls or not, you should always spot prime any areas which you spackled, else they will show up as “shiny” areas in your finished paint job.
  • Finally, tape off all adjacent walls, woodwork etc, with painter’s tape to protect adjacent surfaces. A good quality tape is important here.

We will continue to share helpful tips that will get you the professional look you desire. Contact NJW today to assist you with your custom home remodeling project, family room additions, or overall residential renovation.

We currently build in Powell,Upper Arlington,New Albany, Hilliard,Worthington,Gahanna,Dublin,Whitehall,Westerville, Lancaster, Bexley, Pickerington, Columbus and all of Central Ohio. Contact us today!