Prepare the Interior of Your Home for a Paint Makeover

The first step of any successful interior paint makeover is to ensure that everything to be painted is clean and correctly prepared. While we at Kraudelt Painting will ensure that this is done, we also advise that you never take this for granted when painters in Brisbane (or anywhere else for that matter) come into your house to do a paint job.

Clean all surfaces thoroughly before painting

Before any repairs are carried out, and before an undercoat is applied, it is essential for the surface to be cleaned. Walls may look clean to the naked eye, but that is not enough. Even the residue from regular household cleaners can cause problems in terms of paint adherence. So before any paint company comes into your home make sure to:

• scrub and clean every surface that is going to be painted. Then wipe the surface down with clean water.

• use inexpensive sugar soap, a large sponge and a big, clean bucket. some surfaces may need sanding.

• flaking and peeling paint should also be removed by scraping and sanding before the sugar soap exercise.

• be sure to make certain that all traces of sugar soap are washed off the surface

• make sure the surface is totally dry before painting can start.

Ensure that the painters in Brisbane you commission undertake to do thorough cleaning prior to painting. Make sure this is included in your quotation.

Additional Tips for specific surfaces, including those that might need special treatment

Plasterboard

The most common interior wall and ceiling surface found in Australian homes is plasterboard or Gyprock. The first step is to thoroughly dust the surface down. Then scrub off any mould, dirt or grease using sugar soap. This is the most effective solution to all grimy surfaces whether they were previously painted or not. Once you've finished scrubbing, rinse with clean, potable water and then allow to dry.

A note of warning: Don't be tempted to start scrubbing before you dust because any loose surface residue will smear when it gets wet, and you'll end up having to do a lot more scrubbing.

Brickwork

When it comes to brickwork, it isn't just cleaning that is the issue. Even though unplastered brick walls are not common in Australian home interiors, if you have a bare brick wall that you want painted, one option is to have it rendered with a cement-based mortar mix. Once the new surface has been left to cure for 28 days, we will be able to paint it. We offer a second option that involves bagging and painting with a special paint product to achieve a characterful Moroccan finish. To be able to do this, the brickwork must be sound - without gaps in the mortar joints - and it must also be clean and dry.

Previously rendered and painted surfaces

Once again sugar soap is the best solution. Dust the surface and scrape off any paint that is flaking. It's unusual to have to completely strip painted walls down unless they were previously painted with multiple layers of paint that have begun to blister and flake badly. Even then, it is usually possible to scrape and then sand those areas prior to cleaning and repainting.

Sometimes there will be holes in walls where pictures and shelves were previously hung. These should be cleaned out and then filled using a proprietary filler - either a spackle-based product (though these do tend to shrink), or a cellulose filler like Polyfilla. Allow this to dry thoroughly before sanding lightly. Bear in mind that the dry filler material will need to be coated with some sort of sealer or a universal undercoat before the wall is painted. If you are doing the filling yourself, check with your contractor whether you need to seal the filler or whether they will do it as part of the job.

Timber

Timber trim, doors and any timber panelling should be cleaned using sugar soap. If the timber was previously painted with an enamel paint (particularly a gloss type) it may need to be stripped. Alternatively, if the surface is to be repainted, it can simply be sanded lightly to achieve a smooth but dull surface.

If previously unpainted timber is to be painted, a special undercoat will be required. This will usually be done by a local timber painting contractor.

Bathroom and Laundry

Mould is a common problem on bathroom and laundry surfaces, and in kitchens where sinks have been installed, or where dishwashers are used. A simple way of removing mould is to mix one part bleach with three parts water. Then scrub the surface clean wearing gloves. Rinse the bleached surface thoroughly before applying an anti-mould product. Allow the surface to dry thoroughly before painting begins.

Get in touch with professional painters in Brisbane

If you are looking for professional painters in your area, you can be assured that the team at Kraudelt Painting will give you excellent service. Call us today for a chat and a quotation.