No matter whether you’re a DIY-er or a pro, house painting in San Ramon is something that you don’t want to do again for a few years. With this in mind, you have to consider these important wall painting rules that you shouldn’t break.
Be sure to prep the surface
This is one of the most critical rules to follow when n house painting. Ignoring this rule may result in a disastrous finish for your painting job, good quality paints and tools notwithstanding.
Prepping helps the topcoat to adhere well to the surface. Clean the surface well — if you leave it dirty before paint it, the topcoat will have problems in sticking to it. If there are localized problems such as flaking and peeling old paint or cracks and holes, you should repair them.
To remove peeling and loose paint, you should use a scraper. Then sand the scraped surface to make it even and smooth before you paint. In repairing cracks or holes, use wood filler or a spackling compound to fill them. Let the filler dry, and sand off any excess filler. Dust off the surface and caulk the joints, then let the caulk dry.
Next, decide if you should or should not use a primer. A primer is necessary only for the following situations:
- Painting a dark surface with a light-colored paint
- Painting a new or patched/repaired drywall
- Painting an oil-based paint with latex paint
- Blocking a stain or odor on the surface
Don’t skimp on the materials
For DIY-ers in particular we understand that you want to save money as much as possible when tackling a painting job, especially if you’re on a budget. But if you look at it, you’ll be most likely to end up spending more if you’re buying cheap but inferior-quality paints and tools. Most cheap paints need more coats than good-quality paints, while second-rate painting tools won’t probably last long after a couple of uses — or will even bend or break in the middle of your painting job. The ending? You’ll have to go back to the hardware/paint store to buy them again!
Good quality paints typically require fewer coats, have better coverage, and will last longer on the surface. To get the best paints possible, check if they have a lifetime warranty against defects when they’re painted on the surface.
If you cannot afford to buy good quality paintbrushes, rollers and airless sprayers, etc., you can rent them at several home improvement or tool rental centers.
Wait for the right weather conditions
The weather conditions can play a decisive factor especially for exterior painting. You cannot paint well under extreme outdoor temperatures such as a hot and muggy weather or a cold and damp weather.
Sure, you want the paint to dry fast, and you’d think painting in hot weather will hasten the process. While painting under direct sunlight does make the topcoat dry fast, the problem is that it dries too quickly, resulting in several failures like cracking, blistering, obvious brush marks, and clumps of hardened paint.
On the other hand, painting outside during a cold, rainy, or windy weather may prevent the paint from adhering well on the surface. When the surface is still damp while you paint on it, it can result in problems like bubbling.
The ideal temperature for exterior painting ranges from 50 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s best to put off painting under these extreme weather conditions and wait until they have reached the ideal temperature.
However, if you do have to paint during the hot days, it’s best to do it early in the morning before the sun goes up high, or in the late afternoon after the sun has moved on. Or, work under shade, if possible.
Cover or remove everything else
Whether you do interior or exterior house painting, anything that you don’t want to be splattered with paint must be covered or removed.
Before painting a room, it’s important to remove all furniture, décor, and whatever installations are possible. If they cannot be moved, cover them.
In exterior painting, it’s important to cover shrubs, gardens, decks, walkways, etc. to protect them from the possible paint mess. Covering them will save you from major cleanup problems after you’ve finished the painting job.
Be realistic
Don’t force yourself to do the house painting unless you have the proper paints and tools as well as the time, skills, and energy to do so. Painting your own house can be a difficult, tiresome, and monotonous work, but that depends on the size of your house or the condition of the current surfaces.
If you feel you do not have what it takes to do house painting in San Ramon, it’s better to get help from a professional painting contractor like Custom Painting, Inc. Make sure to ask for detailed bids from at least three contractors, and get the names and phone numbers of the past clients they’ve worked with. Contact the clients and/or visit their homes (if possible) to inspect the contractors’ painting job as well as to confirm if they are satisfied with the work. Truly satisfied clients may even recommend the contractors to you.
