Preparation is the Secret

You have definitely heard it said before: good preparation is key to the success of your DIY project. Recently I have been doing lower skill jobs as workshops or in-home services with local women, and in each case they have been struck by how long the prep takes.

And it’s definitely the ‘boring’ bit right? It absolutely takes the longest. But if you don’t spend the time setting the stage, so to speak, you’ll be right back there doing it again sooner than need be!

There have been 3 particular jobs lately where doing the preparation was essential:

1. Painting – this one is well known!
   
2. Timber worktop maintenance
   
3. Caulking (or resealing your bathroom)

Honestly, the job itself – as described above – is the shortest part. The other bits….well, let’s just say you better have snacks handy.

PAINTING

The Why?: The reason painting requires good preparation is because paint is a great material that can last literal
centuries, but that longevity depends on its adhesion – and its adhesion depends on the surface onto which it was painted.
The What?: This can most simply be divided into three main categories: patching, cleaning, and priming it ready for paint.

• Patching: This means fixing holes (ie: using fillers), removing any lumps and bumps (scraping and sanding), sometimes even replacing sections such as water-affected areas (re-plastering).
  
• Cleaning: Obvious, right? You can have duty or greasy walls because thepaint won’t stick, but also, marks and other imperfections absolutely show through. Which takes us to…
  
• Priming: This is one or both of sanding to rough up the surface, which provides a ‘key’ for the new paint to really
  grab on. If it’s really slippery (such as painting over previous high gloss paints), the paint will just slide off! You may prime for a few reasons including providing a base over nude areas (eg: those you patched in the first step), or dark areas (eg: including remedied mould that has stained and couldn’t be cleaned off in step 2), or if you are using water-based paint to cover oil-based, or a lighter cover over a darker one.
  

Then, once you’ve done all that, depending on your skill or choice of application, you may also have to tape edges or protect surrounding areas from overspray, for example.

TIMBER MAINTENANCE

The Why?: The appeal of timber is the beauty of itsgrain, and when you are using it in its more natural state, it needs to be sealed to protect it. Or sometimes, you may wish to change its appearance through darkening or lightening the
tones. But depending on your choice of sealer, it essentially has to be stripped back to bear timber to receive its
new coat.

The What?: Preparation here does really depend on what’s been previously applied. It could require stripping, sanding, staining, or all three. As with painting, you may also need to fill any holes or voids, fix wood rot and so on.

• Stripping: This is a chemical process ofremoval. It’s messy (and stinky) but insome situations it is the best, safest, or indeed the only way. There are a few types of chemical and solventstrippers – from more benign CitruStrip, to Turpentine or Paint Stripper, through to more industrial level stuff.
• Sanding: This is obvious. You start with a low grit, highly abrasive sandpaper and using friction you essentially rub it off! Depending on how many layers, how old the sealing material is, or the type, this can take a very, very long while. Be aware of things like lead in paint (inwhich case you must strip, not sand).
• Staining: This is not actually a protectant – it’s more like dye. Usually it also receives a protective treatment.

If you have an oiled or waxed item, it’s a little more tricky because those sealants will have penetrated the deeper fibres of the timber. On the flip side, if you’re happy with the method, just re-apply. But if you’d like to switch it up, you may find you need to do extra prep.

CAULKING

The Why?: Silicone in particular is a fantastic product (it’s actually naturally occurring too by the way!). It’s waterproof, flexible, and simple enoughto use. However, it’s a bit fussy at the application stage because there a few things it won’t stick to, and it really needs an ideal environment to be effective. Caulk (a different product that is not waterproof, and is more like a standard gap filler), is more forgiving.
The What?: It is essential the area is clean, dry,and free of debris. This means removal and drying.

• Removal: That means removing all the existing silicone, which is a fiddly and extremely time consuming
  task. In fact, you will never be able to remove it 100%, but as much as feasibly possible will give you the best chance of a good cure and thus a tight seal. Depending on how well it was originally applied, how much it has degraded, how exposed, and other factors, it may mostly come out in a fat worm, or you could be there scraping and digging tiny little bits for hours.
• Clean & Dry: Silicone repels water. Trapping water in the area will lead to mould growing. It has to be bone dry, even if that means getting out the hair dryer! Italso needs to be clean, which takes us back to step one, but also when you do need to wipe down the area, use methylated spirits (not water).
  

You’ll discover that you may/can use water (soapy or clean) during application, which feels like it contradicts the above point. But trust me, avoiding silicone sticking to –well, everything – is something you’ll be grateful for! As above, you may also prefer to tape to get crisp, straight lines, so that’s another job to do before you even lay your first bead!

You’ll be sick of it by the time the prep is done. Or if you’re paying someone to do it for you, you will start to wonder why they are taking so damn long. But trust me, skipping it will only lead to regret, and you’ll soon be wishing you’d stuck in there and did the job right the first time!