How Important is Preparation and Clean-up to a Paint Job?

Why would keeping a job site clean be so important? When a painting project is happening in a fully furnished and occupied home, we have the customers comfort to consider. The work itself usually takes place over a 4-6 day period. A persons home is their refuge from the big bad world.

To come home to a dusty, messy house would not give them a very good feeling about the quality of your work. On most paint projects of this sort, I set up at the beginning of the day and clean up at the end of the day.

Before I even arrive at the job site, I have organized all of my materials for that job the night before. One a month I launder my drop sheets to extract the dust from plaster repairs. The next day I arrive at the prescribed time. I remove pictures and hooks from walls. Move all of the furniture carefully into the center of the room. Put down clean canvas drop sheets on the floor. Cover the furniture with plastic and remove the window coverings.

Most jobs will include repairing wall cracks with plaster. After the final coat of plaster is dry, it must be sanded. This plaster dust falls on the tarps. We vacuum the baseboards then paint the room.

Once the painting is done, all of the tarps are carefully rolled up to contain the dust. The floors are given a final vacuuming. Any drops of paint that have found their way to the floor are removed with a damp cloth.