A lot of times, many homeowners are so excited and psyched about being able to purchase the house paint colors they like that they often forget some very essential things that should be done before the actual paint is slapped on. This oversight often leads to disappointment later on, when the paint dries and reveals a painted surface that is less then satisfactory, leaving the homeowner with the option of leaving the ugly imperfection as it is, or stripping away the paint and fixing the imperfection underneath. Both scenarios are equally frustrating and tedious, so why not nip the problem at the bud?

It is of the utmost importance that the surface to be painted is thoroughly checked for imperfections before the paint is applied. In cases of imperfections, there are several ways to deal with them, and make sure a surface that is smooth and even enough for a coat of paint is achieved.

Houses that have seen years of living in and scores of families are bound to bear the marks of habitation. These marks include scuffs, cracks, nail holes, and gaps in the walls. This is unavoidable, as wear and tear is a natural consequence of being inhabited. The best way to deal with this is to patch up what can be patched up or replace sections that cannot be patched up. Removing these imperfections is absolutely essential to achieving an even and smooth surface to paint on without having those unsightly bumps and indentations after the paint has dried. A good way to deal with the smaller and more manageable imperfections, indentations and holes is by using putty to fill them in. Putty makes for a malleable filling agent that sets well, easy to shape, and is a good medium to paint over. After the holes and imperfections have been filled in, the surface must be absolutely even, so the patched surface must be sanded over until it is even with the rest of the wall.

Surprisingly enough, a lot of people tend to overlook other sources of imperfections on the surface while painting over it. Holes, gaps, and indentations are not the only sources of imperfection on a surface. Each and every house is bound to have additional occupants in it other than the family. Insects and rodents have been known to make their homes inside houses, and as such, they also tend to leave their mark of inhabiting the house, leaving cobwebs and droppings and other detritus that we often look over when we paint over a surface in the house. These small things that get painted over also leave imperfections in paint coat, as small as they are. Even something as trivial as clumped dust or dirt will lead to an imperfection when painted over, so be sure to brush away and thoroughly clean the surface to be painted over to be sure there won’t be lumps later on when the paint dries.

It goes without saying that there are things on the wall or other surfaces that you don’t want to paint over, such as curtain rods, switch plates, picture hooks, protruding nails, and hung picture frames. Remove these from the wall or surface before starting to paint, or if they cannot be removed, simply cover them with newspaper and tape the edges to make sure paint does not seep into the edges.

Living in a house will familiarize you with the very annoying phenomenon known as the stain. Stains can come from anywhere, spilled food that didn’t get cleaned thoroughly, crayons from when the kids had a go at the wall, even moisture seeping in from somewhere between the walls. Paint over this and you are bound to see some nasty discoloration going on in that particular spot.

Lastly, unless you plan to color the entire room from ceiling to walls to floor in the same color, be sure to cover firmly areas you do not want to be colored in the same paint as the one you are painting with. It’s not up to the wall paint color to discern where it should and shouldn’t go. Cover areas you don’t want to drip paint on with layers of newspaper, and tape the edge of the newspaper firmly, so as to ensure nothing seeps over.