How to Prepare a Room for Professional Painting

Perhaps you’ve tried the DIY route. And now that you have finished, the paint doesn’t look how you envisioned. Perhaps you had another painter come in but didn’t like the job they’ve done.

Perhaps you’d like a total interior design renovation and you’re looking for a professional to take care of the job for you.

The Allure team have years of experience working as interior and exterior painters so if you need a new coat of paint, call a professional to complete the project for you.

Here’s what you can do to help that company give your walls the smooth, vibrant and gorgeous paint job you desire.

1. Remove everything hanging on your walls.

Nothing should remain on your walls when painters arrive. Remove pictures and posters, and store away vinyl lettering and similar decor. Remove nails, pins and other items as well. Your walls should look completely bare.

2. Move your furniture into storage, if possible.

If you can put the furniture into your basement, your living room or even a storage unit, please do so. Your furniture will stay safer if it doesn’t sit anywhere near the paint. If paint drips on your furniture and dries, you may struggle to remove the spot.

3. Move your furniture into the room’s centre if you can’t store it.

Sometimes you don’t have the space or the budget to store your furniture. If this situation applies to you, move your furniture into the room’s centre. Put it as far away from all four walls as it can go. You may have to stack it.

4. Cover the furniture that remains in the room.

Again, if you have to keep furniture and other items in the room, cover them with plastic tarps. You can also use blankets if you don’t mind potential marks on the fabric.

5. Unscrew all light switch and outlet covers.

Light switches and outlet covers might not seem like much of an obstacle. Unscrew the covers and store them until the project reaches completion. If you leave their covers in your wall, the covers could end up with paint on them. Or, as painters try to avoid them, you may see a slim border of unpainted wall around the outlets.

6. Remove light covers if you plan to paint the ceiling.

Many home owners like the dichromatic effect with coloured walls and a white ceiling. But if you want to paint your ceiling, remove light covers for the same reason you removed light switch and outlet covers.

7. Dust all surfaces.

Now that you’ve cleared obstacles from the room, begin preliminary cleaning. First, dust every surface, including the walls. Then vacuum the dust so it doesn’t fluff into the air every time someone steps on the carpet. As you dust, make sure you use a damp cloth so you pick up every particle.

8. Scrub the walls.

Now that you’ve dusted, take water and a sturdy cloth and scrub the walls. If you see stains or other imperfections, scrub those areas hardest. You don’t want any particles to interfere with the way the new coat of paint adheres to the walls.

9. Cover the carpet.

Before the painters arrive, lay a tarp or several layers of newspapers over your carpet. These barriers will keep the paint from dripping into your carpet fibres. A professional paint job will make your rooms look more beautiful than ever. Do your part to ensure the project’s success by following the steps above.

If you have any questions about this process, please contact the friendly Perth painting team at Allure on 1800 ALLURE / 1800 255 873.