At Blue Chip Painting, we sometimes see that garages in Langley, BC are overlooked in home improvement projects. Understandably so, if budget is a concern, but garage surfaces need to be protected just the same as those on the house. Whether you’re a DIY enthusiast or seeking professional help from painters in Langley, these five steps to paint your garage will guide you through the process of achieving aesthetics and also protection against the elements.
Five Steps To Paint Your Garage
- Cleaning
- Begin by removing dirt, cobwebs, mold, algae off your garage. Painters in Langley generally use a pressure washer is great for this to speed things up, but a stiff-bristled brush with soap and water along with some elbow grease will do the trick. Don’t forget to rinse off the soap with the garden hose.
- Masking or Covering
- It is a messy business to paint your garage, so make sure to adequately cover surfaces that you don’t want to get paint on. If you plan on doing more painting projects in the future, then invest in painters drop-cloths. They are perfect for the job.
- Covering walkways is the most important thing. Paint adheres well to masonry surfaces. If some gets passed the drop-cloths, then a scrub with some water and a wire-brush.
- Painters in Langley generally spray the paint on the to the body of the garage. If you plan on following suit, remember to cover your windows, doors, and lights as well.
- Scraping, Sanding, Priming
- To paint your garage like the pro painters in Langley, you need good prep work. Inspect your garage for peeling paint, cracks, and bare wood or metal.
- Address any peeling paint by scraping it off with a paint scraping tool that can purchased any hardware store.
- Sand that area with some 100-150 grit sandpaper and then apply a good quality primer to seal the surface. Oil primers are still the best for wood surfaces, but latex primers have come a long way and come in a close second place. Plus they have the advantage of not requiring paint thinner for clean-up.
- Caulking
- Inspect your garage in Langley, BC for cracks in the joints between any two pieces of wood. For example, where the vertical window trim meets the horizontal sills. Water really likes to get inside these cracks and when it does, it can cause the wood to rot.
- Apply a good amount of caulk to these joints to fill up the cracks. Langley painters wipe excess caulk off the surface and their fingers with a wet rag.
- Painting
- Apply two coats of paint to every wood surface on your garage. Stucco, metal, and vinyl surfaces can also be painted.
- To paint your garage, Painters in Langley will generally start with the body, which will be the siding, or stucco, then they move out to the do the trim and doors. This is the easiest process.
- To ensure a durable and long-lasting finish, apply multiple coats of paint. This is particularly important for surfaces exposed to the elements.
- Once the paint has dried, carefully remove masking tape and protective coverings for a final, polished touch.
Conclusion:
Painting your garage will not only make it look great, but it will also protect it from the rain and sun. A good process, like the one above, to paint your garage will ensure that it is done right and that it will last a long time. If you stick to the five steps process to paint your garage, tried and tested by many painters in Langley, you will be happy with the results. Remember to use good quality paint.
When looking to hire painters for the job, make sure to look for ones that have a process and know the importance of prepwork. At Blue Chip Painting, our prep process is iron clad. Give us a call! We would be happy to assist you with your garage painting project in Langley, BC.