Painting - Easy Surface Preparation Tips
Adequate surface preparation is essential when painting. It determines the resulting quality of work after completing the painting job. You have probably seen a fresh coat of paint develop bubbles or start flaking immediately after drying and all this is due to poor surface preparation. If you want a nice, smooth, professional finish, you should consider the following:
Check the current condition of the wall
In order for a fresh coat of wet paint to adhere properly to the surface, the surface must be clean. It should be free of dirt, flaking old paint, mould and any other contaminants that may prevent the fresh coat from adhering well. You should inspect the surface for cracks and holes, dirt, mould and the state of the old coat of paint. This will determine the sort of surface preparation you need to do, such as sanding, sand blasting or washing.
Determine the equipment to use
The kind of equipment you will use depends on the current condition of the surface, the surface material and the area to cover. Sanding using sand paper is only ideal when painting over a small area, especially after repairs. Sand blasting is ideal when working on larger surfaces such as repainting an entire room or house. When it comes to sandblasting, it is advisable to use softer materials such as pumice or walnut shells on delicate surfaces such as wood and fiberglass. However, if you are working on much more resistant surfaces such as steel or concrete, you can use glass beads and plastic abrasives as sand blasting media for such surfaces.
Prepare surrounding surfaces
You need to move any delicate items from the area that you are working. When sandblasting, you should expect the sandblasting media to bounce of the surface and this can cause damage to delicate items around. If it is not possible to move these items to a different room, you can make sure they are a safe distance from the surface being blasted and well covered. You can use duct tape and newspapers to cover up nearby windows, window frames and door frames. Only leave the surface to be painted exposed.
Fill in the cracks and holes
After sanding, you should get a filler material to fill in the cracks and holes on the surface. Holes are usually caused by nails or screws driven into the wall surface for hanging items. If you want a nice clean and even finish, fill the cracks and holes with the filler, allow it to dry, and then use sand paper to scrape out the excess filler and even out the surface with the rest of the wall.
If you need help sandblasting and painting, contact a specialist in your area.
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