Inspect Interior Surfaces and Plan a Paint Project

A. Finished-Project Specification

Scope: one interior room or approved practice area, every wall, ceiling, trim run, door, cabinet, built-in, floor, window, and fixture within it inspected and recorded, resulting in one documented readiness decision covering the entire room.

B. Room Inventory Schedule

Surface Category	Substrate Options	Inspection Focus
Walls / Ceilings	Drywall, plaster, or another approved substrate	Nail pops, cracks, dents, holes, joint ridges, texture defects, stains, chalking, peeling, bubbling, moisture marks
Trim / Doors	Wood, MDF, or another approved substrate	Gloss, grease, wax, silicone, damage, open joints, loose coatings, hardware conflicts
Cabinets / Built-ins	Wood, laminate, MDF, thermofoil, or another approved substrate	Gloss, contamination, damage, loose coatings, hardware conflicts
Floors / Windows / Fixtures / Appliances	As present in the room	Identify surfaces requiring protection in Chapter 2

C. Documentation Takeoff

• Worksheets: one Room Inspection Worksheet and one Hazard-Screening Worksheet per room, completed in full before the readiness decision is issued.
• Photographs: one photograph minimum for every recorded defect, stain, and hazard-screen finding, labeled with its worksheet location entry.
• Attachments: approved finish schedule and color schedule, if issued, attached to the worksheet; if not issued, the worksheet must record that fact and identify who will supply them before Chapter 2 begins.

D. Acceptance Standards

Check	Standard
Substrate identification	Every wall, ceiling, trim run, door, cabinet, and built-in assigned one substrate category
Raking-light inspection	Performed and recorded on every wall and ceiling surface scheduled to receive a new finish coat
Hazard screening	Every applicable item on the Hazard-Screening Worksheet recorded with a result before the readiness decision is issued
Stop-work conditions	Any active moisture, suspected hazardous coating, structural movement, or unknown industrial coating recorded, and the affected area excluded from the readiness decision until corrected or cleared
Stain classification	Every recorded stain assigned a probable cause: water, tannin, smoke, grease, rust, ink, marker, or unresolved
System selection	Cleaning, patching, sanding, caulking, stain-blocking, priming, and finish-coating systems identified for every substrate and defect condition present
Readiness decision	One documented decision issued: approved, conditional (with listed prerequisites), or rejected (with listed reasons)

E. Document Review and Substrate Identification

1. Obtain the approved finish schedule, color schedule, product requirements, substrate information, and room-use conditions. Record which documents were supplied and which were not.
2. Identify each surface as drywall, plaster, wood, MDF, metal, laminate, masonry, cabinet finish, door, or another approved substrate. Record the substrate category for every wall, ceiling, trim run, door, cabinet, and built-in on the Room Inventory Schedule.

F. Wall, Ceiling, and Trim Inspection

1. Inspect walls and ceilings under normal and raking light. Walk each surface twice: once under normal room lighting, once with a handheld light held low and to the side.
2. Record nail pops, cracks, dents, holes, joint ridges, texture defects, stains, chalking, peeling, bubbling, and moisture marks. Note the exact location and approximate size of each finding on the worksheet.
3. Inspect trim, doors, cabinets, and built-ins for gloss, grease, wax, silicone, damage, open joints, loose coatings, and hardware conflicts. Record each finding with its location.
4. Inspect floors, windows, fixtures, appliances, and adjacent surfaces requiring protection. List every surface that will require protection when Chapter 2 stages the room.

G. Coating Condition and Adhesion Testing

1. Test existing coating adhesion using the approved method where required. Apply painter's tape firmly to a representative area of the existing coating, press it down, and remove it in one steady motion; record whether the coating remains sound or lifts with the tape.
2. Identify whether the existing coating is sound, glossy, chalky, stained, contaminated, unknown, or failing. Record one condition category for each inspected surface.

H. Moisture, Structural, and Hazardous-Coating Screening

1. Identify active leaks, condensation, mold, substrate movement, or corrosion. Use the moisture meter on any surface showing discoloration, softness, or a musty odor.
2. Stop work until active moisture and structural causes are corrected. Mark the affected area on the worksheet as excluded from this chapter's readiness decision pending correction and reinspection.
3. Determine whether lead or other hazardous-coating testing is required based on age, location, and condition. Record the structure's approximate age, the condition of the existing coating, and any location factors (window and door surrounds, high-friction areas) that increase hazard-testing priority.
4. Stop disturbance until hazardous-material clearance is obtained where required. Mark any surface requiring testing as excluded from further physical inspection — visual observation only — until clearance is documented.

I. Stain Classification and System Selection

1. Identify stains as water, tannin, smoke, grease, rust, ink, marker, or unresolved. Record the probable cause for every stain found in Section F.
2. Select the required cleaning, patching, sanding, caulking, stain-blocking, priming, and finish-coating systems. Match each identified substrate and defect condition to the system category that addresses it; do not select a single universal system for every surface.
3. Confirm coating compatibility, sheen, washability, moisture resistance, exterior exposure, and cure requirements. Cross-check the selected systems against the approved finish and color schedule where one was supplied.
4. Determine sample-board or test-patch requirements. Record which surfaces require an approved sample before full application, per the finish schedule.

J. Estimating, Sequencing, and Readiness Decision

1. Calculate surface area and estimated material quantities using approved coverage information. Measure and record wall, ceiling, and trim area using the tape measure, and apply the coverage rate stated on the selected product's approved data sheet.
2. Plan room sequence, ventilation, occupancy controls, drying, and recoat timing. Record the intended order of work and any occupancy or ventilation constraints that later chapters must plan around.
3. Prepare a deficiency and prerequisite list. List every condition that must be corrected, tested, or cleared before Chapter 2 may begin.
4. Issue an approved, conditional, or rejected paint-project readiness decision. Approve the room only if every hazard screen is clear; issue a conditional decision listing exact prerequisites if selected areas require correction or testing; reject the plan if stop-work conditions affect the room broadly.