Interior painting
The inside of a Columbus house, room by room
Most Columbus houses we paint have plaster or drywall that has been painted several times over, hairline cracks where the house settles, and trim with years of caulk and paint on it. The work is mostly what happens before the paint: patching, sanding, caulking and covering. The painting itself goes quickly once the walls are ready.
Walls and ceilings in two coats of finish
Primer on patches, stains and bare spots
Closets, doors and trim, if they're on your estimate
Floors, furniture and fixtures covered
The crew cleans up at the end of each day
Prep checklist
What we do to each surface before we paint it
Plaster and drywall walls
Wash off kitchen grease and hand oils
Fill holes and nail pops
Patch hairline cracks with flexible filler
Sand smooth and spot-prime
Ceilings
Cover floors and furniture first
Scrape loose flakes
Prime water stains so they stay hidden
Roll in one direction, then back
Trim and baseboards
Sand off gloss so paint holds
Caulk the gap along the wall
Fill nail holes
Prime bare wood
Kitchens and baths
Cover counters, appliances and fixtures
Degrease walls and ceilings
Use a finish that wipes clean
Caulk around tubs and sinks
The days
How a room goes from covered to finished
- 01
Step 1: Day one: cover and patch
Floors and furniture are covered. Holes and cracks are filled and left to dry.
- 02
Step 2: Day two: sand and prime
Patches are sanded smooth and primed, trim is caulked, and the first ceiling coat goes on.
- 03
Step 3: Day three: first coat
Walls get their first coat, cut in by hand at the ceiling and trim.
- 04
Step 4: Day four: second coat
The second coat goes on once the first is dry to the touch, then the trim.
- 05
Step 5: Day five: touch-up and walk-through
We go through every room with you, touch up, uncover and clean.
Finishes
Which sheen goes where
Brand-neutral words; your estimate names the paint line.
Flat or matte
Ceilings, and walls where you want the least shine. Hides roller marks; marks more easily when wiped.
Eggshell
Most living rooms, bedrooms and halls. A little sheen, and it takes a light wipe.
Satin
Kitchens, baths and kids' rooms, where walls get touched and cleaned.
Semi-gloss
Trim, doors and window frames. The hardest-wearing finish, and it shows every flaw in the prep.
How long
Day ranges, written into your estimate
These are typical ranges for a crew of four. Your estimate gives the days for your rooms.
One room
1 to 2 working days
Three or four rooms
About 5 working days
A whole floor
1 to 2 weeks
Repairs and weather can move these days. The estimate says how.
Questions
Questions about interior jobs
How long will it take?
Most three- and four-room jobs take about a week of working days. Your written estimate gives the start day and the days on site for your rooms, and says what happens if a repair or the weather changes them.
How many coats, and which sheen?
Two coats of finish on walls and ceilings, with primer first where the wall needs it. Flat or matte for ceilings, eggshell for most walls, satin or semi-gloss for trim and doors. The estimate names the sheen for each surface.
What prep is included?
Covering floors and furniture, filling holes, patching cracks, caulking trim and priming where needed. Bigger repairs, like a section of plaster or a water-stained ceiling, are their own line so you can see what they cost to fix.
Do I have to move out or move the furniture?
No. You stay home. We move furniture to the middle of the room, cover it, and put it back at the end. Heavy pieces and anything fragile are best moved by you ahead of time; the estimate says which.
Ask for an estimate that says it all
Tell us the rooms. Ray will walk them and write the nine lines.