Do Colorado Professional Painters Wash Walls Before Painting?

Our homes naturally accumulate dust, debris, grease, and film – and the walls are no exception. 

But getting walls clean and ready to paint can be a messy process, and not all painters offer this service. If cleaning your walls on your own seems daunting, consider hiring a professional who can efficiently and thoroughly do the job for you. 

Reputable paint manufacturers offer warranties on their products – with the stipulation that the paint is applied over a clean surface. If the paint isn't applied according to the label specifications, the warranty will likely be null and void. Clean walls can make or break a paint job!

Image by Freepik

Knowing that clean walls are key to a great paint job, you may be wondering: Do professional painters wash walls before painting? Does the same stand for professional painters in the Colorado area?

In this article we provide all the information you need to know about who can clean your walls before painting – plus we provide details on the kinds of prep work you can expect from professional painters. 

Do Professional Painters Wash Walls Before Painting?

While some painters will wash walls, not all offer wall-washing services. Due to their highly sought-after skills, many pro painters prefer to avoid the wall-washing business so they can focus on prep and painting.

Be sure to specifically ask your potential professional painting service in Colorado if they offer wall washing and cleaning. As a company offering its services in the Front Range area, Singletrack Painting is happy to guide you on how you can clean your walls in preparation for painting – contact us for information on how you can get started and what prep services Singletrack provides.

All of the major paint manufacturers specify the importance of having clean walls before painting. So the bottom line is that your walls must be dust- and grease-free. If you aren't a DIYer, simply don't have the time, or your chosen painter doesn't wash walls, you can hire a cleaning service to do the dirty work for you.

Expert Painters Just a Click Away – Get a Quote from Singletrack Painting Today!

Why Do Painters Clean Walls Before Painting?

Painters clean walls before painting to ensure the best possible end result. They know that debris, dust, dirt, and grease will prevent even the highest caliber paint from adhering properly. Also, painters make sure walls are clean in order to maintain the paint manufacturer's warranty coverage. Your budget will benefit from clean walls, too, because less paint is required when covering clean walls.

Cleaning Interior Walls

Cleaning walls on interior painting jobs will depend on how dirty the walls are. Tough dirt like grease, scuff marks, fingerprints, marker or crayon marks, and mildew or mold stains will need to be washed with a product formulated for serious grime. However, if your walls appear clean, they should be wiped down with a clean damp rag to remove imperceptible layers of dust.

Cleaning Exterior Walls

For exterior painting jobs, use a pressure washer with soap solution to clean grime and dirt from walls before painting. Mold and mildew tend to grow on walls at the ground level, downspouts, and hose bibs. Remove mold and mildew with a mixture of one part bleach and three parts water.

Cleaning and washing aren't synonymous. Washing involves using a soap solution and water. Cleaning can be accomplished by wiping down the walls or with a pole sander.

How Do Professional Painters Prep Walls for Painting?

A professional paint finish is largely due to skillful wall prep. Some of the most common types of wall prep include:

Washing Walls

Professional painters who do offer wall washing services will typically follow the directions suggested by high-quality paint manufacturers. Commonly, they use a water and a mild soap solution to wash down the walls with a sponge or soft cloth. The wall is then rinsed with a clean, damp cloth and then allowed to dry completely. When hiring a painter, ask how they ensure the walls are clean before painting.

Cleaning With a Pole Sander 

If the walls aren't excessively dirty, some painting pros will remove dirt, grease, and film with a pole sander and fine-grit sandpaper. Then they thoroughly wipe the dust before addressing other prep issues. 

Filling Nail Holes and Cracks

Spackling compound is applied with a putty knife to fill nail holes and cracks. Once dry, the compound is sanded down to the wall's surface. When properly applied, filled holes and cracks disappear once paint is applied. 

Repairing Drywall

If a drywall hole or crack is too big for spackle to properly fill the space, pros will repair the hole with drywall netting and drywall mud. Drywall patches are used for holes larger than 3".

Caulking

Over time, caulk can dry and shrink, allowing cracks to develop between walls and door or window frames. A painter will remove dried-out caulk and apply new, especially to ensure a home is weather-tight.

Spot Priming

Skilled painting pros spot prime stains and use mold-killing products such as Kilz to block mildew and mold growth.

Masking

The final task before painting involves carefully and completely masking all non-paint areas, edges, and flooring. Masking may seem simple, but it requires experience and skill. Poorly masked edges result in a paint job that looks sloppy.

Singletrack Painting Can Transform Your Home in the Front Range Area

Whether you want to paint just one wall, or your entire home, Singletrack Painting will ensure your new paint job is long-lasting, exacting, and beautiful. Once your walls have been properly cleaned, our crews will complete the job with excellence, attention to detail, and respect. 

With over a decade of experience in the Denver Metro area, Singletrack provides top-tier interior, exterior, and residential painting services. We're not only master painters – we provide outstanding customer service based on trust, honesty, and integrity. You'll be delighted at how Singletrack Painting can transform your house into an inviting, character-filled home.

Singletrack Painting happily provides fast free quotes to give you a clear idea of how much your paint project will cost.

Discover More Educational Resources