HOW TO PREPARE WALLS BEFORE PAINTING THEM
How Best To Prepare Walls Before Painting
There's no doubt about it, preparing walls before painting them is easily the most boring part of the project. We all want to get to the most interesting part of the job so it's very tempting to bypass the tedious steps of preparation. Don't do it! Proper preparation is vital to create a professional finish to the walls. Please don't make the mistake of skipping these crucial steps and follow the below guidelines to prepare your walls for painting.
1. Protect Floors, Furniture and Fixtures
In all likely hood you will spill paint or you will at least get paint spots on parts of the room that are not the walls. Don't take any chances! Move your furniture and ornaments out of the room if you can. If this isn't possible, move everything into the centre of the room and cover them with plastic dust sheets. Remember to remove sockets and light switches from the walls slightly and put masking tape around them. Also don't forget to cover door handles and other ironmongery with masking tape.
2. Repair Any Imperfections
Look closely at your wall for any imperfections. Sorting problems now will ensure any paint goes on smoothly and evenly, leaving you with a professional finish. If you find flaking paint, scrape it off with a scraper and sand down the edges.
Fill holes with interior filler and let it dry. If the holes are big or deep you may need to apply filler a second time. Also, some large may need filled with filler and a patch repair kit. Once dry, sand the area to a smooth finish. Apply caulk to corners that are cracked and to gaps between walls and woodwork. After that apply a primer to the filled or caulked areas. Don't leave any of these imperfections without sorting them. New paint won't hide them, it will draw attention to them.
3. Clean The Walls
Painting over dirty walls will lead to visible imperfections in the finished paintwork. Begin cleaning the walls by vacuuming the skirting. Clean the whole wall with a damp towel, working in a circular motion. If you're painting your bathroom you may need to use bleach to remove mildew before painting. Similarly, if you're painting your kitchen you may need to use degreaser to remove food splatters before applying paint.
4. Apply Masking Tape
Once your walls are completely clean and dry, apply masking tape to the sides of architraves and tops of skirting. Try your best to use long lengths of masking tape. Shorter lengths can create gaps that paint can leak through and also doesn't give as clean lines as long lengths. Use a snap off blade to cut the tape at corners and use a scraper to press the tape down if it's not sticking properly.
The above steps will ensure you achieve a professional finish and create beautiful looking walls.
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