Preparation Tips For A Silky Smooth Paint Finish

There’s nothing worse than a paint job that you thought was well done peeling a short time later. The trick to get your paint to stick long term is down to how well you prepare the painting surface.

Without good preparation, many things can go wrong including ruining the final finish or causing premature peeling or cracking.

Filling Wall and Ceiling Gaps

There’s nothing nastier than a giant gap between the walls to detract from a great paint job.

Before you get started with your painting it’s essential to fill cracks and larger gaps with the correct type of filler.

For small to medium sized cracks we recommend using Bostik gap filler. It’s best to use this product for gaps roughly 1-4 millimeters wide.

For larger gaps try a product called Caulk in Colours made by Fuller. This sealant is a flexible, water based acrylic joint sealant for use in sealing expansion and other joints in residential construction work and tiling.

Basically this is the type of sealant used in new homes to account for natural expansion between building materials and with a +/- flexibility of around 20% you won’t see any splits or cracks.

Preparing Your Frames For Painting

If you don’t prepare your door frames, window frames and skirting boards correctly the paint won’t stick properly and once dry even the slightest knock will chip off paint. Gloss enamel paint hardens quite well which might cause you to think it’s alright, but eventually furniture rubbing or a child running past with a toy will reveal that the paint hasn’t bonded properly with the frame.

You must sand down all door frames, window frames and skirting boards then remove the resulting dust from between the decorative grooves.

Applying undercoat to the frames is a good idea as it will give the final coats of gloss enamel something secure to bond with.

The final part to preparing frames is giving a final light sand to the paint work before you apply your final coat. This will ensure a silky smooth finish and it will look a million bucks.

Preparing The Walls For Painting

As with your frames, walls will require a good sanding as well to give the paint something to stick to. The walls will require a sand with a pole sander to get rid of any grit on the wall and get them back to smooth.This is also the time to fix up any imperfections in the wall’s finish.

We recommend using a top coat filler to smooth out wall imperfections. Try applying CSR Gyprock top coat to fill any dents and holes. It dries hard and sands well which means you can do your sanding in one go.

If you prefer, you can try using an orbital sander instead of doing it manually to save your arms, but make sure you use a sturdy ladder to get to the high places. I would still recommend a block and sand paper to give any patches a light rub, this should be all they need to get those edges away.

Summary

Now that your painting surface is prepared properly, you’ll definitely get that smooth finish you desire!

If the job is getting too big Keigher Painting & Decorating can take on any sized job. We love preparation because we know it’s the key to a job well done. Call us now!