When painting an interior, PaintMaster’s goal is to produce a finished product that looks great and demonstrates attention to detail. Our commitment to focusing on the small details (smooth walls, crisp lines, and clean, uniform finishes) is our key differentiator.
Preparing Surfaces for Interior Painting in Mid-Michigan
Our Interior Painting Lansing process starts with good prep:
Mudding and Wall Prep — PaintMaster will scour each wall for nail holes, dings from furniture or doors, or uneven areas. Historical homes with plaster wall generally have a large number of areas with cracking walls (due to settling of the home). We’ll apply one to three coats of mud on areas that just need to be patched or areas that need to be floated out completely to blend in with the surrounding wall.- Post-Mud Sanding — After mudding is complete, we’ll sand down the mudded areas to prevent a smooth, even finish that blends in well with the surrounding wall areas.
- Post-Mud Priming — Before applying a top coat of paint to an area, mudded areas must be primed in order to allow for a consistent, uniform finish of an area.
- Ceiling Prep — Ceilings sometimes show water spots from prior roof leaks. We’ll oil-prime any water spots to prevent bleed through. In cases where there is significant nicotine/ soot build up from smoking or a house fire, PaintMaster may choose to use a Shellac-based primer to block out any stains that would otherwise penetrate through a water-borne or standard oil-based primer.
Applying the Paint
Generally, we approach our Interior Painting Services in the following order: ceilings, then trim, then walls. Here’s more information on how we paint each surface.
Ceilings — Ceilings generally require only one coat and are generally painted white. Ceilings are cut in on a ladder and then rolled using a 9-inch roller from a ladder or using an extension pole. We’ll cut around recessed lighting and ceilings fans from a ladder or scaffold.- Trim — When painting trim, we’ll first tape off the floor area directly adjacent the base board to prevent stray carpet threads from being painted, and make it easier for us to cut a straight, clean line against the floor.
- Walls — After the trim is painted, we’ll tape the top of the baseboards and around any door frames to ensure that all cut lines are clean and crisp. Generally, tape is removed from trim within 24 hours of the drying of the second coat to promote a clean peel-off. For interior painting work, walls are almost always painted with two coats of paint to provide a smooth, consistent finish. Walls are pole-sanded in between coats.
Equipment and Cleanliness During Interior Painting
PaintMaster takes great care to create its customer’s homes with pride and respect. We’ll clean up thoroughly each day and in full upon completion. Customers are asked to provide access to a sink where PaintMaster can clean brushes and roller skins as well as an area where we can store equipment for the duration of your job. The utility sink will be cleaned daily.
Communication During the Job
During the job, you’ll be able to communicate directly with the crew foreman. The foreman is the point of contact for the customer and can provide the most timely and effective response to customer questions.
Handling Lead Paint When Painting Interiors
Homes built before 1978 may have been painted with lead paint. Even if a home has been painted several times after the lead paint coat was applied, lead paint may still pose a small, but noteworthy risk to employees and residents during removal. For this reason, the EPA has established guidelines for contractors to follow when renovating homes built before 1978. PaintMaster Painting is an EPA-certified lead-safe firm. For more information on lead-safe removal practices, ask your PaintMaster sales rep.
A Disclaimer
The processes described above are what we will typically do, but will vary depending on the specifics of your job. For a full description of the processes we will undertake for your job, please refer to your proposal.