Expert Prep Insight from Bearcat Painting – Your Trusted Fort Worth Area Painter
If you’re considering repainting your home, chances are you’ve focused on color choices, finish types, and perhaps even which brand of paint to use. But here’s something we want every homeowner in Fort Worth to know. Your paint job is only as good as the prep work underneath it. Choose a Fort Worth painter who does the job right.
At Bearcat Painting, we treat every house like it’s our own—because our name is on every wall we finish. And when a client like Sherry tells us, “Paint it like it’s your mom’s house,” we take that to heart. That’s why we take prep work seriously.
Here’s why wall prep matters—and precisely what goes into it when you work with a team that doesn’t cut corners.
1. Prep Affects the Look, Durability, and Lifespan of Your Paint Job
When prep is done poorly (or not at all), here’s what usually happens:
- Paint peels, flakes, or bubbles within months
- The color looks blotchy or uneven
- Surface imperfections like cracks, rough patches, or nail pops show through
- Caulk lines shrink or split, making new paint look old fast
But when prep is done, right? You get clean lines, smooth surfaces, and results that look crisp and hold up for years—especially in the unpredictable North Texas climate.
That’s what we aim for on every job.
2. Caulking and Sealing Gaps: The First Line of Defense
Texas homes are constantly expanding and contracting with the seasons. Over time, that movement causes gaps to form around windows, doors, baseboards, and crown molding.
Before we paint, we always:
- Apply high-grade caulk where the walls meet the trim
- Seal visible cracks along corners and ceiling joints
- Use paintable silicone or acrylic-latex caulk (depending on location)
- Smooth all beads clean so they blend naturally under the paint
This keeps air and moisture out—and gives your paint a clean, sealed edge to adhere to. You’ll be amazed how much cleaner a room looks with fresh caulk alone.
3. Repairing Wall Damage the Right Way
Many painters will skip this, or do a quick patch and call it good. But a paint job will highlight flaws, not hide them.
We take time to:
- Patch nail holes, minor dings, and stress cracks
- Feather and sand all edges smooth
- Address tape seams or poor texture jobs from previous contractors
- Blend the texture so that the patched areas don’t stand out
If we’re fixing water damage or deeper cracks, we cut out the bad section and repair it properly, not just mud over it.
Every blemish we skip will reappear once the paint hits it. So we don’t skip anything.
4. Priming Is Not Just for New Construction
Some homeowners are surprised when we say, “We’re priming all your walls first.”
But here’s the truth: primer is essential—even in a lived-in home.
We use a primer to:
- Seal repaired areas, new drywall, or texture so they don’t absorb more paint than the surrounding wall
- Block out stains, scuffs, and old-color
- Help the paint bond evenly across every surface
- Create a consistent sheen from corner to corner
Primer is also essential when changing color—from dark to light or vice versa. Without it, you may need three or more coats of paint to hide the old color—and even then, coverage can appear uneven.
That’s why Bearcat Painting includes full-wall priming as part of our standard prep process.
5. Protecting the Surfaces You’re Not Painting
Proper prep isn’t just what we do to the walls. It’s also how we protect the rest of your home.
That includes:
- Masking off floors, furniture, windows, door hardware, and countertops
- Covering cabinetry, exposed wood beams, or decorative elements
- Using high-quality masking tape and plastic to ensure clean edges
- Setting up job site protection in high-traffic areas
And we clean up daily. We’ll never leave you stepping over drop cloths for days on end.
We treat your home with care—not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because clean workspaces lead to cleaner results.
6. Why Most Cheap Paint Jobs Fail
You may receive multiple bids, and some might be significantly lower than ours. If you’re wondering why, the answer usually comes down to one thing:
They’re skipping the prep.
They’ll:
- Skip primer
- Skip caulking unless it’s major
- Rush through sanding and repairs
- Use one thick coat of paint instead of two light ones
Sure, it saves time. And if you’re trying to sell the home next week, that might be enough.
If your plan is to live in your home and enjoy it, then prep work is not just an extra step. It’s what ensures your paint job lasts and keeps your walls looking fresh for years to come.
7. Painting It Like It’s Our Own Home
When you hire Bearcat Painting, you’re not just hiring someone to throw paint on the walls. You’re hiring a team that takes pride in every detail.
We:
- Prime every wall
- Apply two full coats of finished paint
- Take care with every line, surface, and transition
- Touch up trim and baseboards to ensure the whole space looks polished
- Communicate clearly and leave your home clean at the end of each day
We take the time to do it right because that’s how we’d want it done in our own home. No shortcuts. No cheap coverage—just high-quality work from start to finish, ensuring your investment is secure.
Considering a Paint Project in Fort Worth?
If you live in Aledo, Benbrook, Weatherford, or anywhere in the Fort Worth area, we’d be happy to walk you through your home and discuss your options.
Even if you don’t go with Bearcat Painting, make sure prep is part of the conversation with whoever you choose.
Because what happens before the paint goes on… is what makes the paint job last.
👉 Schedule your free estimate with Bearcat Painting – we’ll treat your home like we would our own.