How to Prep Your Walls Before Painting

An important part of painting is the preparation. Prepping the walls before painting will help your paint go on smoothly and sufficiently. You can’t just dip the brush in the paint and hope for the best . Painting is a process, but if you do that process right, your final results will turn out much better.

Remove All Necessary Items

Before you start painting, you should be removing any outlet or switch plates covers from the wall. You might want to replace these all together to give the room a fresh look when you’re done. Mark the holes with painter’s tape and make sure you keep the screws with the piece they belonged to if you are putting them back up. Have small individual bags handy to hold the plates and the screws together.

Patching Holes

You should have any holes in the walls patched before you start painting. Look for small holes left over from pictures frames or any décor that you might have had hanging. If you are moving into a new home, scan the walls for nails that might have been simply left in the wall. When you patch the holes, clean the excess material when it is still wet for an easier removal process. After it is dry, sand it down to smooth out whatever is left over so that the paint can go on without being bumpy.

Consider Sanding

Before painting, many people choose to sand their walls. Sanding can help paint adhere to the wall better. However, it can be messy and require a lot of elbow grease depending on the size room you are painting. You should scrape any paint off that is flaking and then use low-grade sandpaper to scrape off any remaining plaster bumps. You can also use an electric sander if you have a large room that you can’t do easily by hand, just remember to wear goggles.

Put on Primer First

Many people are in a rush to skip priming the walls in order to save some time. However, a primer can really help to hide imperfections and flaws on walls. A high-quality primer will help your color shine through brighter as well and stay truer to the original paint swatch. Although primer is time consuming, it can really make a difference in what your paint will look like when it’s finished.

If you are thinking about painting your home, we suggest letting a professional take care of it for you. Richard Stewart Painting is the premiere choice for interior and exterior commercial and residential painting.