Surface Preparation Before Painting and How It Is Charged

What is the surface preparation charge?

The surface preparation charge pays for the work done on a wall before the top coats go on, so that the new paint bonds to a surface that is clean, dry and sound. In a quotation from Phuket Pro Painters, surface preparation before painting is a separate line from the painting itself, following the method explained on the page about how house painting prices in Phuket are calculated. The charge is a surcharge per square metre set by the condition of the wall.

Paint applied over dust, stains or old paint that is already lifting will peel away with the layer underneath, however good the new paint is. Preparation decides how long a paint job lasts at least as much as the paint does.

What surface preparation does Phuket Pro Painters carry out?

Surface preparation by Phuket Pro Painters consists of five tasks, done in this order:

1. Washing and cleaning. Dust, dirt, algae and mould are removed from the wall, and the wall is left to dry.
2. Scraping loose old paint. Paint that has blistered, flaked or lost its grip is taken off, down to a layer that is firmly attached.
3. Sanding. The edge between old paint and scraped areas is smoothed, and glossy surfaces are keyed so that new paint can grip.
4. Filling small holes and hairline surface marks. Nail holes, wall-plug holes and fine lines in the paint or render surface are filled, then sanded flush.
5. Priming. A primer that matches the surface is applied, for example a primer for new render, a primer for old masonry, or a rust-inhibiting primer for steel.

Covering floors, furniture and door and window frames before work starts is part of the normal working routine and is not counted in the surface preparation line.

What is not part of surface preparation?

The line that separates surface preparation from other trades sits at the surface. Phuket Pro Painters does not take on structural crack repair or waterproofing, and does not take on leak repair for roofs, flat roof decks, pipes or walls.

The reason for this boundary is simple. House paint does not solve structural or moisture problems. If paint goes over a wall that is still taking in water or still moving, the new paint blisters and cracks again within a short time. When the painter sees these signs during the site survey, we tell the customer plainly and advise having the problem dealt with by the right trade first. The painting is then booked afterwards.

For owners who are abroad, this matters in practice: a quotation from us will never quietly include a fix for a problem that painting cannot fix. The issue is reported so that a property manager can arrange the right contractor.

How is surface preparation charged by wall condition?

Surface preparation has four priced levels and one case that needs a site inspection first. The level that applies is settled after the painter has checked the walls on site, and it can be chosen surface by surface.

The surcharge per square metre for each level is shown in the estimate tables on the website. It is charged per square metre of that surface. Those figures are estimates, and the real price is confirmed in the written quotation after the free site survey. One property can have more than one level. Interior walls may be in good condition while the exterior wall that takes the driving rain is in poor condition. The quotation splits the area by level.

Why do walls in Phuket often need more preparation than expected?

Exterior walls in Phuket face three things at once: strong sun, heavy rain during the south-west monsoon from roughly May to October, and high humidity all year. Homes near the coast also get salt-laden sea air. The common results are exterior paint that leaves white powder on the hand, black algae streaks on walls that get little sun, and rust on metalwork.

A wall that looks fine from a distance can therefore fall into the poor-condition level once the painter scrapes it and rubs a hand across it. Villas that stand closed for part of the year are a typical case, because nobody is there to notice the early signs. This is why a price based on photographs is only ever an estimate.

When does the painter check the walls, and when will I know the price?

The painter checks the wall condition during the site survey, which is free. The check covers how well the old paint is attached, moisture, stains and the number of spots that need filling. The preparation level and its price then appear in the written quotation. The details are on the page about the site survey and quotation process.

Preparation is also connected to the workmanship warranty, because problems caused by moisture or structural movement are generally not a matter of painting workmanship. The scope is described on the page about the warranty after handover. For homes on more than one floor, where exterior preparation happens at height, the full list of cost items is in the guide to the cost of painting a two-storey house. To have a painter inspect the walls, use the page to book a free site survey.