Protecting Landscaping From Paint and Water

Two flower beds that look identical from the street can need very different protection, one holding roses under the eaves and the other holding a drip line with fresh gravel on top. The cover noted at temecula painters my beverly hills kitchen for a job is wider than most homeowners expect, and painters in Temecula, CA plan the plants before they plan the paint.

How are shrubs and roses covered?

Breathable drop cloth goes over plants, not plastic, because plastic traps heat and cooks leaves on a warm morning. Shrubs close to the wall are tied back gently with soft strap and never cut. Roses get cloth draped loosely over the canes. The cloth comes off each evening so the plants get air overnight, and goes back on in the morning before the sprayer starts.

What about citrus trees and drip irrigation?

Citrus trees are common in Temecula yards, and a coat of latex mist on the leaves is hard to wash off. Low branches are tied or covered the same way as shrubs. Drip lines run along the wall at ground level and are easy to crush or clog. The crew steps around them, covers them with cloth, and checks emitters each evening. Anything damaged is reported, not hidden.

How are gravel and bark beds protected?

Riverside County yards often use decomposed granite, gravel or bark against the wall. A heavy canvas drop cloth is laid over the bed and weighted at the edges. Paint that lands on loose rock cannot be cleaned off, so the cloth is the only protection. Each evening the cloth is folded inward to catch any drips, then carried off the property.

What happens with wash water?

Pressure washing comes before any primer, and the runoff has to go somewhere. Water that carries old chalk and paint flakes is kept out of storm drains and away from the Santa Margarita River watershed, which the local streets drain toward. The crew directs runoff onto lawn or into a contained area, and keeps the pressure low near plants. Beds are rinsed afterward so dust does not sit on leaves.

What does the lawn and walkway get?

Lawn edges get a cloth strip, walkways a runner, and any hard surface near the work is covered before cut in and spraying begin. Ladders on grass get boards under the feet. After the final topcoat the cloth comes up, the beds are raked back to how they were found, and a last walk along the foundation checks for stray paint, tape and chips.