Interior Preparation

Adding to the difficulty is the fact that interior preparation jobs require much greater care than for exterior surfaces. Washing is harder. Dust from sanding requires special handling to avoid making the complete house unsanitary and possibly unhealthy.

But the results will be well worth the effort. A well-prepared interior surface makes painting go quick and easy. It produces a wall that shines and paint that lasts much longer.

Step one is to remove any wall fixtures, outlet or switch covers, or decoration from the area and make repairs. Unless you intend to put them right back in the same place, you'll want to plug any nail or screw holes with putty. Any gouges or cracks are fixed at this stage. Wood filler goes on easy and dries quickly, leaving a surface that can be sanded to perfection.

One step that is easier is cleaning. Most interior surfaces haven't suffered the kind of weathering the outside gets. Mildew is much less often a problem. That can make it possible to skip any but minor cleaning before sanding. A quick wipe with a moist cloth may be all that's needed.

Any sections with peeling paint should be dealt with before sanding. A 6-8 inch scraper can do large areas quickly. For corners, angles and other close-in areas a smaller blade will be necessary. For really stubborn areas that look like they'll continue to peel even after sanding, a heat gun can help loosen the paint.

Sanding is usually easier for interior jobs, as well. Rough spots will need to be dealt with. Anything that is visible before painting will appear magnified after the new paint is applied.

Still, it's important to control dust. You'll need a mask to prevent inhaling particles that come off the surface. Repeated exposure can lead to allergic-like reactions. After sanding a section, be prepared to wipe down the area with a dry cloth and/or vacuum periodically. Those same particles can fall onto wall surfaces and the carpet or floor where they get blown into the air later.

For an area that is discolored or contains water stains, what needs to be done depends on the degree of the damage. In some cases, a simple primer applied before the top coat is all that's needed to prevent them showing through. In other cases, it may be necessary to sand more thoroughly or even replace sections of drywall.

Naturally, if the wall or other surface is brand new preparation can be close to nothing. A fresh panel may require only a little bit of primer before getting painted. This is a good opportunity to apply a treatment that prevents mildew from even getting started. Oil-based paints, for example, can trap moisture and organisms can grow under the surface. That leads to rot down the road.

Now for the easy part. Painting.