Are you looking to give your home a fresh new look this summer? Before you grab that paintbrush, it's important to make sure you properly prep your space for a crisp and long-lasting finish. Our friends at Well Painted of Central Florida want to help you achieve professional results with a DIY approach for when you have the time but don’t have the budget to hire a professional.
Weather. First, it is always critical to find the right day and time to paint in an area as prone to extreme weather as the Apopka area. Make sure to check the weather forecast and choose the best time of year to paint. Avoid painting during rainy or extremely hot days, and make sure to work during cooler times of the day to stay safe and hydrated.
Clear and trench. Then, start by clearing the area around the walls, scrape off any debris or bumps, and create a small trench (3”-4” deep and wide) at the base of the wall to avoid unsightly gaps in the paint and to prevent water damage on your job.
Pressure wash. If you're painting the exterior of your home, it's recommended to pressure wash the surfaces at least 24 hours before painting for stucco walls and 48 to 72 hours before for wood surfaces. This will help remove dust and debris and allow for proper paint adhesion. You can always rent a pressure washer at your local home improvement store for this task if you don’t already own one.
Caulk and mask. Once the surfaces are dry, it's time to caulk any cracks around doors and windows with Urethane Elastomeric Caulk. For stucco walls, use Concrete & Masonry Sealant for a proper seal. Then, mask off any areas you don't want paint on. We recommend using a Multi-surface Medium Adhesion tape with Paint-Block technology to prevent paint bleed, which can stay on for up to 14 days and can be used in both interior and exterior jobs.
Sealant. Before you start painting, apply a high-quality sealer to ensure proper paint adhesion. At Well Painted, we prefer and recommend a waterproofing primer and sealer combination, as it can dry and be painted over in just thirty minutes and help prevent moisture for building up. Applying a sealer (vs. just primer) critical to rain, oils, and other substances prevalent in Central Florida from penetrating your walls and creating mold or damaging your paint.
Clear and prep. For interior painting, move furniture to the middle of the room and cover everything with plastic or drop cloths. Remove everything from the walls, patch any holes with spackling paste, and sand the walls using a pole sander with 100 grit sandpaper. We even recommend investing in a pole sander with a round disk to avoid going up and down steppers to sand the top of your walls, but a simple brick sander can also do the job.
Wipe and vacuum. Once finished, make sure to clean thoroughly. Wipe the walls, vacuum, and clean the baseboards and floors before caulking.
Caulk. Caulk any cracks on corners, baseboards and door jams with an Acrylic Latex Caulk. Then, remove all blinds and mask their brackets, in addition to wood trims, electrical outlets, and switches.
Ready, set, paint. Only once you’ve completed all these steps and everything is covered, sanded, patched, and cleaned, you are finally ready to start painting!
Stay tuned for more painting tips from Well Painted of Central Florida to help you transform your home this summer. Whether you are a seasoned DIY painter or just starting out, these tips will help you achieve professional results with a fresh coat of paint. Don't forget to watch our Painting Prep 101 video for a visual guide on how to properly prepare your space for painting and come back in a couple of weeks for direction on the next phase of the painting process.
Be sure to check out and follow Well Painted's Facebook and Instagram pages for the latest trends in painting.
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