Painting is an integral part of completion of any building facility. Whether it is residential or a commercial space painting transform an ugly or dully looking area into a vibrant and cheerful living space. Wide variety of paints are available today in the market with thousands of shades that can create a beautiful theme as per the requirement of an individual. Painting helps display a characteristic trademark for an entity.
Painting involves an extensive investment of men, money, material and time. Hence, it is imperative to ensure it is done right the very first time. So, let us check out few key points to ascertain the same-
- Before starting the paint work, make sure you have finalized upon the following-
- Area to be painted
- Contractor/ vendor who will be carrying out the painting
- Terms & Conditions i.e. whether the work awarded to the contractor is on item rate basis/ lump sum/ labour rate (without material). Make sure the time, quality, cost and scope are discussed transparently between both the client and the contractor.
- Paint material, shade of paint, primer, paint brush, roller, sand paper, masking tape, plastic pan, dry and fine putty powder, POP powder, turpentine/ kerosene oil, sand paper, ladder & scaffolding, Personal protective equipment (PPE’s), adequate & clean water supply, experienced & proficient manpower are all available of approved quality.
Execution is the most important element of any activity. Any planning and initial capital investment goes into vain if the work is not properly executed. Similarly, in painting work also we have to ensure compliance with respect to following key points-
- Cover/ mask all switches, windows, doors, furniture or any other surface not requiring paint.
- Necessary health and safety precautions for the workers must be there- mask/ gloves/ and other PPE’s.
- The surface to be painted is dusted and cleaned with sand paper and/ or broom. In case of metal surface all the rust and aberrations are removed.
- Scaffolding and ladder are properly erected.
- Ensure that the putty has been properly mixed with water and applied evenly in a single coat before it dries up. Hence, it is advisable to prepare putty in a quantity that can be suitably applied without taking a gap.
- Usually 2 coats of putty are preferred. However, the number also depends on the actual site conditions.
- Putty coated surface must only be scrubbed once the putty has dried completely.
- Primer can then be applied. It is advisable to use a roller.
- Pour the primer in a tray/ bucket. Dip the roller and roll it back and forth until it has sufficiently taken up the primer and there is no dripping.
- Apply the roller evenly moving up and down in a W fashion. Usually 2 coats of primer are preferred.
- Wait for the primer to dry before starting to apply the paint.
- The most important part is paint preparation. The paint must be prepared in accordance with the specification provided along with the type of paint being used- distemper/ emulsion/ weatherproof/ etc. Even a slight variation from the specification may largely jeopardize your expectations of a perfect paint finish in terms of appearance, quality and durability.
- In the same manner in which the primer was applied now paint can also be applied. Number of coats again depends upon the actual site condition. The 2nd coat must only be applied once the 1st coat has dried up sufficiently.
- Ensure the painting is done such that there are no unevenness/ patchiness/ brush stains/ blistering/ peeling/ efflorescence of the painted surface.
- Number of coats should be decided such that back coat/ previous coat not visible through newly painted surface.
It must be noted if above aspects are carefully looked into during any type of painting work trust me wonderful outcomes are achievable.
