How to Prepare to Paint Walls & Rooms - Colours of Maple. Serving Toronto, Richmond Hill, Vaughan, Woodbridge, Ontario, Canada

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Wondering how to prepare a room for painting? It’s simple - after you’ve chosen the perfect interior paint colour, made a list of all necessary painting tools, and returned from your trip to Colours of Maple with paint supplies in hand, you’re ready to get started!

Before prying open that first can of interior paint, though, do a little preparatory work. There’s nothing worse than hitting a snag halfway through a painting project and having to start over again from scratch! Save yourself some headaches, time, and money with these helpful tips.

How to prepare a room for painting

Brush up on paint safety
Improper use of interior paints can expose yourself and your family to health risks that are easily avoided. Learn about the potential dangers of paint usage and how to prevent accidents before they happen by visiting our paint safety page or reviewing the manufacturer’s Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS).

Clear the room as much as possible
Remove from the room whatever furniture you can. Furniture that’s too big can be moved to the center of the room and covered with a drop cloth to save it from paint splatter.

Remove old interior paint
If your walls are currently covered in an old, flaking or peeling paint coat, you’ll need to sand or scrape the surface to remove the previous paint colour. Then apply a spot primer, like PARA PRIMETECH Super-Stick #777 before moving on to the top coat.

Fill in any holes

Use a putty knife to fill all nail and screw holes in the surface. Then sand the area to ensure a nice, smooth surface for your new interior paint.

Clean the surface you’ll be painting

Wipe the surface with an old t-shirt or rag dipped in a solution of dishwashing liquid and hot water. Let the surface dry before starting to paint.

Turn off the A/C or heat before painting

To avoid lingering paint fumes spreading throughout your home, turn off your A/C or heat while painting. If possible, open the windows to let some fresh air in.

Cut the electricity

Turn off the power to the room you’ll be painting, and then remove the cover plates from all outlets and switches. If you’re not able to remove the cover plates, protect them with masking tape. If for some reason you can’t cut the power, use caution when applying your interior paint near power sources.

Please see our Preparing to Paint page for more helpful tips, including how to prepare unpainted surfaces.

Completing the steps above will help ensure that your interior paint job looks great and lasts for years! If you have any questions during your home decorating project, contact the paint professionals at Colours of Maple. We want to help you get the best results possible from your painting project!


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