How to Prep for Interior and Exterior Painting Jobs

Are you having the interior or exterior of your home painted? If so, there are a few things you can do to ensure the process will go smoothly from start to finish. At CertaPro Painters® of Edison, NJ, we recommend our customers do some light prep work before we arrive. You can then sit back, relax, and let our expert painters handle the painting and clean-up.

Here’s how you should prepare for an interior painting project:

• • Remove any small or fragile objects, wall decorations, drapes, and blinds. When removing wall art, leave the nails in the wall if you plan to re-hang your pictures in the same spot. However, if you no longer want to hang anything in those areas, please remove the unwanted nails so the holes can be filled. Empty any bookshelves and closets, if their interiors are being painted.
  • Discuss window treatments and switch plates ahead of time. Let your foreman know if you are planning to re-hang your window treatments or if you are replacing them. When you have a plan in place, our crew will know if they should leave the brackets up or if they should remove them and spackle behind. Additionally, let us know if you are keeping the switch plates or replacing them.
  • Keep pets out of the workspace. Please be sure that your pets do not have access to the rooms that we are painting. It is very easy to bump into a recently painted wall or kick up dust, which can ruin the trim painting. Bonus: you won’t end up with a very colorful animal.

At the end of each day, we will do a surface clean-up, so you have full access to your rooms. When the job is completed, we will perform a thorough clean-up. Be aware that when spackling and sanding is required, we will create a fair amount of dust. We will get most of this up before leaving, but you may find more dust than normal settling even after we go. Our painters will do their best to leave your interior even more spotless than they found it.

Here’s how you should prepare for an exterior painting project:

• • Keep everything closed. Please remember to close all of your windows and doors before the start of your power washing.
  • Check your bushes and shrubs. Please take the time to check the bushes and shrubs surrounding your house to see if they may inhibit the painters. If you can prune these bushes before the painters arrive, it would be very helpful and give our crews easier access to the project areas. Our painters are not allowed to trim these for you.
  • Move your car away from the property. Please be sure any vehicles are parked away from the project area during power washing and painting.

Daily clean-ups will be performed, and drop cloths, tools, and ladders will be placed in a safe location determined by the homeowner. The only time clean-up is not completed in full is if the homeowner has agreed to leave certain items in the rooms for more efficient production flow.

When you take the time to prepare for a professional painting project, you’ll notice how seamless the process begins and ends. Contact the CertaPro Painters® of Edison, NJ, to book your free estimate!