New construction painting sequence?

181487 Views 153 Replies 43 Participants Last post by jhmccormack3, 2 mo ago

beemerpaint

Discussion Starter · Jan 28, 2008

Hey guys. I was hoping that some of you would share your expertise with me on the topic of painting new construction. I have been strictly painting re-paints so this is new to me. This is what I have so far:

1. Spray primer walls and ceiling.
2. Spray color on ceiling.
3. Install baseboard and trim.
4. Caulk baseboard/trim.
5. Primer baseboard and trim.
6. Spray baseboard/trim.
7. Roller/brush walls.

What changes would you make and why? Thank you all for your advice.

Eric

1 - 20 of 154 Posts

vermontpainter

· #2 · Jan 28, 2008

Eric

The first two steps are correct, make sure you are backrolling the sprayed finishes. We often prefer to get first coat wall colors on before the trim goes on. Definitely preprime and maybe first coat baseboard before it goes down. Casings we often leave raw wood since carpenters sand joints so heavily, then we do all the prep and finish on them after the carpentry and cut the final coat on walls in last....just a few ideas.

Reactions: 1

beemerpaint

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jan 28, 2008

Thanks Scott. That will help. Im bidding an addition built onto a home. Sheetrock is being done now, whats needed is complete interior and exterior of the two story addition. Wow, I really like that mountainside restoration job you guys did!!

vermontpainter

· #4 · Jan 28, 2008

Thanks. That was a tough one...very little drywall and lots of maple!

Rich

· #5 · Jan 28, 2008

I prime all trim before caulk/fill. Thought that was a standard thing, not sure how everyone does it.

I'm also used to not having to wait for trim and usually spray prime it while doing the ceilings and walls-it's tough sometimes to schedule though and I adjust accordingly

cole191919

· #6 · Jan 29, 2008

I would get the first coat on the walls first as well just because it is more efficient to only have to cut along the baseboards once as opposed to doing it twice. And priming the baseboards first would also save you some time I think. Put em up on some sawhorses and go to town on them. Caulk/fill after installing and put final coats on them. The more time you can save, the happier the GC would be I'm sure.

Wing 54

· #7 · Apr 6, 2008

If you spray the ceilings first. Then what about using a shield along ceiling edges to be able to spray walls? I have one coming up and am just wondering.

Thanks in advance

bikerboy

· #8 · Apr 6, 2008

We no longer do new construction because of the cuthroat nature of it. If you are doing Tract homes (not custom):
1. Trim must be installed first.
2. Spray and backroll flat on ceilings and walls, spray trim (but no rolling)
3. Next day caulk all trim, spray and roll semi in kitchen/baths, brush trim.
4. Move to next unit
5. Wait 30 days for check.

bikerboy

· #9 · Apr 6, 2008

Caulk is not made to be applied to raw wood, trim has to be pre-primed or caulked after first coat.

Wing 54

· #10 · Apr 6, 2008

This is just 1 home. No trim is installed.

DeanV

· #11 · Apr 19, 2008

new construction order

1. After drywallers leave, prime and shoot ceilings

Let trim carpenters do their thing and go somewhere else for a couple weeks.

2. Now that trim is installed, fill and sand all the nail holes.
3. Prime trim
4. Caulk and look over all nail holes, fix imperfections in trim.
5. Spray first finish coat.
6. Light up and fix any imperfection in trim, caulk, nail holes, etc
7. Spray 2nd coat on trim.
8. Paint walls 2 coats

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tonyk

· #12 · Apr 20, 2008

DeanV You got an A+ in my book. This is exactly how I do it on all new cons. with pre primed millwork. The coat of primer after nail fill and caulk highlites all blemishes. On an occasional tight $ job we have used tinted primer on the walls and just recut with primer in after finishing the trim and ceilings. Then applied one finish coat to the walls. This will flash if the walls dont have a texture like k-down so be carfull with this method. The flashing is not very noticable with the texture , ligth colors or low sheens. Ways to save $ and still get a comparable product are important in a slow market. LOL

paintslinger

· #13 · Aug 16, 2008 (Edited by Moderator)

I've a trac home painter for 10 years this is the most efficient way to do colored walls

1. caulk and putty holes
2. tape hinges and any thresholds
3. prime walls in wall color
4. shoot ceilings and prime jams and doors in same paint if white not too heavy or u cannot sand the same day
5. take lunch smoke break
6. cut in ceilings
7. sand trim
8. spray and backroll finish coat
9. spray door jams just the pocket as to not get a lot of overspray on walls and spray doors at same time leave the doors hanging do not take down
10. brush door casing and base
11. pull tape and put 1st coat on baseboard next coat on pre carpet

Two bad ass painters and a helper in one day been doing for years at 1.45 a ft if you spend more than 1200 in labor for the start u arent going to make much money

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Mantis

· #14 · Aug 16, 2008

beemerpaint said:
Hey guys. I was hoping that some of you would share your expertise with me on the topic of painting new construction. I have been strictly painting re-paints so this is new to me. This is what I have so far:

1. Spray primer walls and ceiling.
2. Spray color on ceiling.
3. Install baseboard and trim.
4. Caulk baseboard/trim.
5. Primer baseboard and trim.
6. Spray baseboard/trim.
7. Roller/brush walls.

What changes would you make and why? Thank you all for your advice.

Eric

Seems like everyone has put in their 2 cents on this one, so I might as well grab my pennies too! Here's how we do it:

After the drywallers are finished;
1. Broom drywall/corners and spray primer walls and ceiling.
2. Sand walls/ceiling and spray first coat of color on walls.
3. Spray first coat of ceiling white/color.

After the trimmers are finished;
4. Fill trim
5. Prime trim
6. Sand trim and check for imperfections.
7. Spray first finish coat.
8. Scuff and light trim, check for imperfections.
9. Caulk baseboard/trim.
10. Spray finish coat on trim.
11. Finish ceilings
12. Brush/Roll finish coat(s) on walls

We find that caulking the trim after the first coat of sanded finish is applied is easier on the fingers.

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Thomas Painting

· #15 · Aug 17, 2008

DeanV said:
1. After drywallers leave, prime and shoot ceilings

Let trim carpenters do their thing and go somewhere else for a couple weeks.

2. Now that trim is installed, fill and sand all the nail holes.
3. Prime trim
4. Caulk and look over all nail holes, fix imperfections in trim.
5. Spray first finish coat.
6. Light up and fix any imperfection in trim, caulk, nail holes, etc
7. Spray 2nd coat on trim.
8. Paint walls 2 coats

I would not do #2 until #3 is done.

Prime the trim ... fill the nail holes with lightweight spackle (leaving the spackle above the hole) sand the trim, vacuum, caulk and paint trim.

vermontpainter

· #16 · Aug 17, 2008

Thomas Painting said:
I would not do #2 until #3 is done. quote]

I would. It eliminates flashing of the holes to bury them under primer.

Thomas Painting

· #17 · Aug 17, 2008

vermontpainter said:
Thomas Painting said:

I would not do #2 until #3 is done. quote]

I would. It eliminates flashing of the holes to bury them under primer.

Click to expand...

It also makes you sand twice ... plus with 2 coats of finish..... nail holes shouldn't flash.

vermontpainter

· #18 · Aug 17, 2008

Thomas Painting said:
vermontpainter said:

It also makes you sand twice ... plus with 2 coats of finish..... nail holes shouldn't flash.

Click to expand...

Sometimes they do. Particularly with deep base Satin Impervo oil, which we do alot of. The filler has a different rate of absorption than the surrounding substrate, so we prefer sealing. Whatever works....

bikerboy

· #19 · Aug 17, 2008

I don't get it? Sounds like you guys are doing new custom work, not the tract style homes where price is king. Who would use the sveral coats of finish and BM satin impervo on a low paying cuthroat tract home? The only primer on tract homes here is the first coat of flat white you paint the walls with. (in fact it is the only primer on anything, walls, trim, doors)

vermontpainter

· #20 · Aug 17, 2008

BB

Definitely...on the quick and dirty jobs, do whatever is efficient and gets an acceptable result. On the custom stuff, make the extra steps for perfection. We dont even attempt the "price is king" market. Thats not a fun way to have to work all the time.

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