How to Prepare Your Home for a Professional Interior Painting Job

A freshly painted home can transform your space and give it a like-new appearance. And to ensure the high-quality results you have in mind, you’ll typically search for a reliable painting company in Austin or your locality. It also helps to know you can get a 7-year warranty on materials and labor from a top-rated firm like HSP Painting Company – meaning you can have peace of mind knowing your home is in great hands.

Thus, it’s as critical to get your home ready for a professional painting job as it is to choose the right painter. With that in mind, here are some helpful tips to prep your home for the task ahead:

1. Clear the Walls

Take this step before the painters arrive to make their job easier. Remove all pictures, wall hangings, decor items, and other items from the walls you wish to repaint. Stow these items in a different room or safe place so they won’t be affected by the dust and overspray of the painting process.

The idea is to give the painters an empty canvas to work with when they start their job. That way, they can paint the entire wall without interruption or having to work around objects.

And if your ceilings have fans, remove the fan blades to keep them out of harm’s way and save time on the job. The blades could also be a safety hazard for the painters, so it’s a good idea to take them off – especially if you also want the crew to repaint your ceiling.

1. Cover Furniture and Floors

Professional painters will take steps to help protect your flooring, but you can also do your bit by laying down plastic sheets on the floor and taping the edges. This helps keep dust and paint drips or splatters from staining your flooring. While at it, remove any rugs or floor coverings to prevent paint mishaps.

Also, move your furniture away from the walls to ensure it doesn’t interfere with the painting process. For extra protection, cover furniture with plastic sheets or drop cloths. Alternatively, relocate the furniture to a spare room – if you have space. And while this may be a tedious task, it streamlines the painting process by keeping your furniture and floors from becoming a permanent part of your home’s new paint job.

1. Clean the Walls

Dirt and grime typically accumulate on walls over time. The dirt may be invincible to the naked eye, but it can snag the paint, making it look uneven or dull.

Use a damp cloth to wipe the walls. You may also need to scrub off stubborn stains. Also, check for scratches and wall repairs you need before painting. Address these issues a few days before the paint job so the walls are dry and ready once the painting crew arrives.

1. Deal with Clutter

Painting a home means the painters must work around furniture and other items. De-cluttering ensures they have space to maneuver in the room and can complete the painting job without interruption.

To get this done, remove items you don’t need, such as stacks of magazines and books, old clothes, toys, or other knick-knacks that could be tripping threats. Also, clear up countertops, shelves, and other surfaces that could get in the way of the painting crew.

1. Move Electrical Appliances

Remove electrical appliances from the room to prevent the paint from defacing them. This may include wall clocks, refrigerators, music systems, and televisions. Unplug them and move them or use drop cloths to cover them. Even so, note that the paint may still splatter on them or seep under the cloths and affect their functioning or stain them for good. So, your safest bet is to move them out of the room.

You may also need to turn off the electricity and water supplies in the room before the painting job starts. This helps minimize the risk of accidents or safety issues with cords, switches, and pipe systems during the process. While at it, remove outlet covers to avoid painting mess.

1. Expect a Crowd

Painting often requires more than one person. As such, expect a few professionals to come in for the job – as if it was a party! This may imply keeping your pets away from the area or letting them stay with your family or friends for a few days until the paint job is done. That way, their presence won’t interfere with the painting process. You may also vacate the house to ensure the painters have a distraction-free zone to work in – especially if they need to repaint the whole house.

Generally, prepping your home for an interior painting job is a tedious task. But if you do it right and in advance, it ensures your walls are clean and ready for the professionals to get to work. And the more you can help, the better. Plus, it helps ensure they complete the job quickly and efficiently – leaving you with a beautiful, freshly painted home in no time.