Painting 101: Part 2 It's all in the prep!

Part 2:  Painting 101 Series

Moving the paint tarp as I go - this one has a plastic backing so paint doesn't seep onto the wood floor. 

Where to begin?  Protecting the floor & cleaning the walls.

As mentioned in the introduction to this series, painting can be a fun or horrible experience.  My goal is to make it fun!  I won’t go into all the amazing benefits you will have by doing your own paint jobs – read the first installment of this series for that inspiration.  I am going to jump right in and get you going – let’s talk about the preparation required and get you onto the actual painting.  

First things first:  Protect your floor for the whole process… from patch to paint.

Assuming we are working in an empty room, the first thing my crew does is - protect the floor we are going to be working on.  You have two options, cover the whole space at once – which is perfect when doing a smaller space or move the tarps and protect the floor as you move along with the process – from patch to paint – which is likely to be the case at some point.  

Canvas Tarps work great for quickly moving around a room. If using traditional canvas tarps, look for the ones that have a plastic backing on them for an added paint barrier.  You’ll be surprised how easily little drops of paint can work their way through a canvas tarp and leave you cleaning up little dots of paint on your floor.  If there is going to be a lot of foot traffic in the space being painted, be aware tarps may become a tripping hazard and you may have to choose a safer option for protecting your floors.
Heavy-Duty Non-Slip Tarps are reusable and make moving about safer. For this reason, I am a huge fan of the heavy-duty anti-slip tarps.  Additionally, if a tool happens to fall while you’re working, the anti-slip tarp is thicker and “cushier” adding protection to the floor below. You can tape the tarps directly to your floor if you anticipate multiple days of work and/or heavy traffic in and out of the room. When taping tarps down to a wood floor, be sure to use ScotchBlue Delicate Surfaces Painter’s Tape to prevent the finish on the floor from being damaged when you pull up the tape a day or two later. These heavy-duty anti-slip paint tarps come in rolls and are found in the paint section of your hardware store.

3M makes an awesome - Reusable, Non-Slip Paint tarp!

Protective Plastic with adhesive backing for rugs and steps is the way to go for both protection and safety when working on stairs. You can find this plastic in the flooring department of major home improvement stores. They come in rolls and have an adhesive back that adheres and conform perfectly to your rug or steps. It’s the safest and most effective way to protect a rug during a paint job.

Plastic Tarps:  Avoid using plastic tarps all alone - they are very slipper and are more or a hazard than they are help.  Again, the canvas tarps with plastic backing are a much better and safer option.

Prep Step:  Clean your paint surface or walls

Even before you can start the repair work on holes and cracks, take the time to clean dirt, dust and loose debris from the surface to be painted.

If your walls have grim or grease I highly recommend you wipe the walls down with a green friendly de-greaser – I simply use vinegar and water as a cleaner and it works like a charm. Painting right over dust, dirt, grease or even a glossy finish will encourage the new paint to be rejected off of the surface and may not allow the paint to adhere properly which will result in flaking, cracking and chipping in the very near future.

Ok, the floor is protected, the walls are clean and now you can really take a look at the damage your walls may have.  From small nails holes to slightly larges screw holes to holes behind doorknobs that found a way to break a perfect whole in the dry wall.  All those imperfections must be repaired before we open that gallon of paint.   

Now the fun begins - Wall Repair & Patching - Next installment here at Hands on at Home with your truly, Carmen De La Paz