4 Tips on Preparing a Wall Before a Paint Job
Before you begin to apply paint colors to a wall, you need to first tend to the wall surface. Even top-of-the-line wall paint won’t have a nice finish if the surface has nail holes or peeling paint underneath. Follow these tips on how to properly prepare the wall surface, and your paint job will look like professional painters did it.
Wash Your Walls Thoroughly
Wall paint isn’t going to apply well if the surface is covered in dirt, marks and dust. So take some mild detergent and a plain sponge and wash the entire wall. Pay close attention to the corners and around the trim because dirt and dust tend to get trapped in these areas. Washing walls can be tricky, so for more detailed tips and advice, check out our post on this.
Remove Loose Paint
Use a paint scraper to remove any cracking or peeling paint, which can prevent you from getting a smooth finish. When you remove any paint from the wall, sand down the edges of the paint that’s still left on the wall. This will help camouflage the two levels of paint, and the ridged edge of the old paint won’t show up when the new paint coat is applied. Also, if there are any imperfections on the wall, like small bumps in the plaster, you can use sandpaper to smooth down those as well.
Use Spackle for Wall Imperfections
This is a very important step in ensuring that your paint job looks smooth and professional. Check carefully over the walls to see if there are any nail holes or cracks. Then use a putty knife to clean away any loose particles from the wall and out of any cracks. Take the spackle and press it into the holes with the putty knife until it’s flush with the wall surface. It’s common for the spackle compound to shrink after it has been applied, so you may need to apply a second coat.
Set a Primer Coat
More paint colors are being packaged as paint color and primer in one. This makes it easier for people who are painting a room because they can skip the priming step. However, the finished product typically doesn’t often look as good. Primer should be applied first, before the paint color, so that it can create a smooth base layer and cover many imperfections in the wall that might not be fixed with sandpaper or spackling. Don’t underestimate the importance of this step in getting a good painting result.
Painting a room can be challenging, but following these steps will help you to have a beautiful finished product. If you discover that you don’t have the time, or merely don’t want to tackle this large task, give us a call and our professional painters in Wayne, New Jersey will make your home come to life.