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6 Steps to Make a Paint Job Last Much Longer

make a paint job last much longer

If you are going to work hard on a paint job, it should stand the test of time, right? While pro-jobs usually do, amateur work sometimes does not. Certainly, this is frustrating, but it also is not necessary.

Today we will go over some steps that will help make your paint jobs last much longer than ever before.

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1. Do the Pre-Work on Your Workpiece:

Whether you are going to be painting a wall, or a piece of furniture, you are going to want to make sure that the workpiece is looking good before you get started.

Ideally, the thing that you are painting will be flat, and blemish free. If there are cracks or imperfections, it will be well worth your time to try and repair them before you get started.

 rough wall
Image Credit: CC0 Public Domain, Pxhere

2. Come Correct:

Buying expensive equipment is not always important, but buying high-quality equipment certainly is. The equipment that you use when spray painting really does matter.

If you want to perform a job that will look like the work of the pros, and last a long time, you are going to need to come correct in the equipment department.

This may mean spending a little more money than you were hoping for, but more than anything, it is going to mean researching paints and sprayers before adding them to your arsenal.

3. Prime:

Priming the surface before you paint is a sure way to establish a solid base. Think of primer as the foundation of any good paint job.

applying primer white paint_Prapat Aowsakorn_shutterstock
Image Credit: Prapat Aowsakorn, Shutterstock

4. Cleaning Comes First:

If you fail to scrub down your surface before you lay down the paint, you are immediately corrupting all of your own work.

Dirt and grime don’t just make your workpiece look bad, they are also harmful to the integrity of your paint.

If you want to keep your paint job looking healthy and happy, cleaning your workpiece beforehand is a true must.

man cleaning wall
Image Credit: Tech. Sgt. Kevin Wallace, U.S. Air Force In Europe & Air Force Africa

5. Best Practices:

At the end of the day, the technique will have the biggest influence over how long your paint job lasts. Keep a healthy distance of about a foot between the sprayer and the surface, move your arm in vertical or diagonal patterns, and avoid over spraying for the best possible result.

The thickness of your spray job should only be about as dense as a sheet of paper. The thicker your paint gets, the more likely it is to crack and crumble, so do be mindful of this.

paint in paper
Image Credit: PublicDomainPictures, Pixabay

6. Be Strategic:

Sometimes, the setting just isn’t well suited for painting. This is a particularly prominent concern when you are painting outside.

On a windy, or overly sunny day, trying to paint outside with a spray system is going to be disastrous. Know when to hold them, and when to fold them. It can be frustrating to have to delay a project, but it is much better than suffering bad results for lack of patience.

divider 1 Conclusion:

Making sure that a paint job lasts a long time really just depends on good pre-work. Some of these steps may feel like medicine. No one likes investing in expensive equipment. No one likes extra cleaning, or even priming.

However, these chores ultimately don’t take too long, and they are much easier than constantly redoing your paint jobs.

At the end of the day, it is always easier to do something right the first time than it is to try and fix mistakes after the fact.

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