Painting a room may seem to be a simple job. But it is going to be easy and quick only if it is prepped well before the painting job begins. If you don’t get the prep job done well or miss it altogether, your painting project is soon going to turn into an expensive and time-consuming mess. Whether you are hiring the services of a Painters Brisbane or not, you must have some insights into the perfect way to prep a wall for painting.
Steps to Prepping Your Walls for Painting
While it may seem that prepping a wall is taking time, the results you will achieve will both look great and stand the test of time.
It is recommended to take the following steps to prep the walls:
1. Clean Walls
Make sure the walls are clean and free from any form of debris, including adhesives. Follow these tips to clean the walls:
- Wipe down the wall using a sugar soap solution
- Remove any build-up of stains, marks, and nicotine
- Scrub and wipe it down using clean water to remove any dirt and grime
This is important to allow the paint to adhere properly and evenly to the wall. This step is important to prevent the paint from having bubbles or pulling away after some time.
2. Dry the Walls
Take a clean and dry cloth to wipe down the walls. It is also important to ensure absolute dryness. Further, you should wait for a few hours before your House Painter Brisbane begins the painting job. Any wetness on the surface will reduce the adhesive properties of the paint.
3. Fill All Wall Cracks
Make sure all nails, screws, and hooks are removed from the wall surface. Look for any gaps, holes, or cracks and fill them. When you hire the services of a professional painter, they should prepare a pre-mix plaster or gap-filler for the job. Use paper to sand back the area around the holes or cracks to remove any excess dust before using the pre-mix to fill them.
4. Sand the Wall
Once the gaps have been filled and the plaster has dried out, put on your protective mask and use high-grade fine sandpaper to sand back the area in a circular motion. Do this until the area is even and smooth. Look for any signs of cracked paint on the surface. Also check the corners for any signs of gaps. You can use a caulking gun to fill such gaps, as they can be difficult to fill with a sealant.
5. Prime the Walls
If a wall has previous paint, there will be no need to apply a primer. If there are big and noticeable patches, you should prime them. When covering previously dark colours with new light paint colours, you should prime the area.
- Discuss the surface base with the hardware store to get proper guidance
- Apply the number of coats based on the product instructions
- Make sure the primer coat is completely dry before you start with the painting job
These are the key steps in prepping the walls in a room before you paint it. These steps are further recommended for different types of wall jobs including wallpapering, stencilling, and stuccoing. While the preparatory work will seem to delay the paint job, you will be much more satisfied with the final results.