True transformation doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a fact, whether you’re painting your home, trying to get in shape, or becoming a better person – it take times and effort to create something that will stand the test of time.
The real work of transformation starts with the right foundation. We must find foods and schedules that work for our lifestyle. We must process emotions and deal with past trauma. All those things must happen prior to any major behavior change to make the new ways stick.
It works the same way when painting your home. (With any major project really…)
Step One: Clean It Up
The first step to lasting transformation is cleaning things up. It may sound obvious, but sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in the end result and devalue preparation. Before the painting begins, it’s important to remove dirt and grime from your home. We do that with a complete pressure wash from Squid’s Pressure Washing.
Why? First, because pressure washing allows us to see the canvas for what it is. The problems just below the surface aren’t always visible. The second reason is the paint – which adheres better and looks smoother on a clean surface.
Step Two: Repair & Seal
Once the house is clean, we can start fixing things. In this step, we are looking for cracks, broken seals, wood rot, and other ways that the surface may be damaged. Then we repair and seal.
Here’s why, if we simply painted the clean surface, it would look okay for a little while, but not for long. Boards that are rotting will continue to expand. This can cause further damage to the siding and cause paint to chip and flake away. Cracks in the siding can cause larger issues for the home over time. While it can warp and chip the paint, the bigger issue is that siding acts as a protective shield around the home, and the weaknesses there cause even greater harm if not addressed.
Step Three: Taping
Have you ever taped off a room before you painted it? It’s time-consuming. Depending on the size of the job, you may spend more time taping than painting. (The smaller and more contained the surface, the longer to tape.) No matter what method you’re using to paint or what type of space you’re painting, tape helps keep the paint where you want it to be.
The reason we care so much about taping is because it’s a huge piece of what makes the job look good. Some people edge in well and some don’t. Tape is simply insurance. Especially with so many people using colors on opposite ends of the spectrum, touching up is a pain. Taping off the surface helps minimize mistakes and keeps edges looking sharp.
After that, we paint. Here at Unique Painting, we’re not in the business of slapping some paint on a problem. We dig in and do the work to make our transformations last.
If that’s what you’re looking for on your next painting project, give us a call at 816.500.7759.
