Though the painting process is very straightforward, it may be confusing by the number of coats and by the types of paints used for different purposes.

In this post, we are going to cover painting process for

Interior Painting
Exterior Painting
Wood Painting
Metal Surface Painting

Before dive in, make sure you have all materials and tools required for the painting process.

Painting Process

There is no rule on painting. The process flows like,

According to the need and surface, the types of paints and number of coats will differ.

Why is Primer Used before Painting?

There are different types of primers (wood primer, stain blocking primer, drywall and masonry primer) available in the market according to the surface we are going to paint. Also, It is not always necessary to use a primer prior to painting.

The purpose of the primer is to give

On Masonry Walls – To give a smooth and consistent finish. Walls may have efflorescence problems (white batches). Using efflorescence resistant primers will enhance the paint appearance.
On Wood – To give better adhesion between the wood surface and the paint.
On Metal – To give better bonding and for protection from the moisture & corrosion

a smooth finish to walls and to give better adhesion, consistent appearance. Using primer will

Why is Putty Used in Painting?

Putty is used after applying primer on the surface. It is used on walls to overcome

any plastering undulations (imperfections) on the wall and give a neat finish.
act as protective layers on walls. We can repaint the same wall without doing putty again.
fills minute pores

Interior Wall Painting

Pre Painting Process

Ensure sufficient curing has been done to the walls. Minimum 7-21 days.
Check the surface for any leakage or dampness.If you found any such problems rectify them before starting to paint. Allow them to dry
Fill up any cracks. It should be treated with recommended crack filling process.
Fill up any nail holes with primer and cover the switch box with sand.
Make sure to remove all the movables from the room. If you can’t, place it in the center of the room and cover them.
Ensure to cover the floorings.

Surface Preparation

Cleaning – Clean the wall area. It should be free from dust.
Ensure to scrub off all the old paintings and loose plaster batches If you are painting an old wall surface.
Scrub with sand papers to give a dry finish.
Cover all the parts of the building that should be free from paint splatter such as doors, windows, switch boxes, furniture etc.

Painting

Caulking – Fill up the door and windows sidewall cracks by caulking process.
Primer – Apply one coat of Primer. We already discussed why primer is important?
Putty – Apply one coat of putty. The putty paint will give a smooth finish to the wall and rectify any undulations on the wall surface. Warning – Putty are very expensive. If the wall has more undulations you end up with a big hole in the wallet.
Paint – After finishing putty ask electrical people to fix switch box. Once switch boxes are fixed to ensure to cover them up to avoid paints splattered all over them. Apply 2 coats of paint.

Exterior Painting

Pre Painting Process

Ensure there is no leakage on the walls.
Ensure there are no cracks on the walls. If you found any cracks rectify them using recommended the crack filling process. Give them proper time to dry.
Ensure all the external wall plastering process has been completed fully. No batch works.
Make sure to paint the wall from the top.
Ensure all the staging requirements are provided.
Ensure the safety of painting labors.
Avoid any material transportation during the painting process.

Surface Preparation

Ensure the wall had sufficient curing time. 35 -50 days.
Ensure the wall is fully dried. Avoid painting on wet walls.
Ensure the openings of drainage pipes and scaffolding gaps are filled.
Make sure to cover the doors and windows to avoid paint splatter all over them.

Painting

Exterior Wall Primer – Apply one coat of recommended exterior wall primer.
Paint – Apply 2 coats of paint. Allow 4-6 hours of time between the coats.

Wood Painting

Normally wooden surface required different types of finishes according to the client need. There are many types of paints for different uses and applications. So make sure to understand the requirement. Below is just an outline process

Painting

Make sure to remove any dust and dirt.
Scrub the old wood finishes by sand paper.
Wood Primer (1st Coat) – Mix the thinner with the wood primer to the recommended ratio and apply one coat. Allow them to dry (6-8 hours)
Putty – Generally 2 coats of primer will be applied on woods. Apply one coat of Putty or Lambi and allow them to dry.
Wood Primer Primer (2nd Coat)– Sand the applied the surface and start to paint the second coat of putty.
Enamels – Now apply the enamel on the wood surface. Allow them to dry.
Paint – Now apply 2 coats of paint on the surface.

Metal Surface Painting

Surface Preparation

Clean the metal surfaces by water to wipe off any dirt and grease or oil things.
Ensure that the metal surface is free from rust.
Sand the surface with sandpaper.
Scrub off rust from the metal

Painting

Metal Primer – Apply one coat of metal primer. Allow them to dry
Sanding – Sand the primer and make sure the surface is clean
Enamel – Apply 2 coats of recommended enamels. Make sure to give proper time to dry between coats

Hope you have enjoyed the content. To gain overall view ensure you have read all the topics under painting.

Happy Learning 🙂