Interior prep that still looks right in west light

Most interior complaints we get asked to fix were not a paint problem. They were a prep problem that showed up at 4 p.m. when the west light raked the wall.

Protect the house first

Switch plates and hardware come off and get labeled. Floors get canvas drop cloths with a plastic backing, not a painter’s-plastic shrug. Furniture is moved and covered. If we cannot protect it, we do not start.

Repair, then sand like you mean it

Nail holes, dents, and hairline cracks get the right filler — spackle, wood filler, or mesh-taped compound. We sand 120 then 220 with vacuum-equipped tools. Fresno’s agricultural dust is already in the house; we do not add a second climate of drywall powder.

Prime where the wall needs it

Dark colors, glossy enamel, stains, and patched areas get a real primer (we often use Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3). Priming ‘everything always’ is not a virtue. Priming what will flash is.

Then we paint — cut, roll, check, and walk it with you before we pack the van. If you want that sequence in your house, we are at (559) 573-0110.