Understanding Painting Rules

3 Steps For Preparing Your Interior Walls For Paint

30 November 2018

Constance Cunningham

Before you paint an interior wall, you need to make sure the wall is ready. The better your prepare a wall before painting it, the higher the likelihood the wall will look great once it is painted.

Look for Flaws On the Wall

Turn on the overhead light in the room, and then take a utility light to get up close and personal with each wall in the room. Move the utility light over each wall and use it to spot flaws and imperfection on each wall, such as holes, cracks, or visible nails. When you see an imperfection on the wall, circle it with a pencil so you can find the imperfection again later.

Fill in Small Cracks & Holes

Next, fill in cracks and holes in the wall. Take some putty, and push the putty into the cracks and holes in your walls. Spread the putty out so that its even with the surface of the walls. Allow the putty to dry.

Once the putty dries, use sandpaper to even out the patch job. You want the patch to meet up evenly with the rest of the wall.

Cover Up Big Holes

For larger holes in the wall, use a self-adhesive patch. Place the self-adhesive patch over the hole. Once the patch is in place, put some putty over the patch. Once again, allow the putty to dry and sand the putty down so the patch is as even with the wall as possible.

Clean Away Dust & Cobwebs

Next, you want your walls to be clean before you start painting. Take a duster, and run it along the top of the wall where the wall meets with the ceiling. Then, run the duster along the floorboards as well. These are the two places where cobwebs and dust gather along walls.

Protect the Ceiling & Walls

Finally, you want to protect the ceiling and walls before you start painting. Take painters tape and run it across the top of the wall where it meets with the ceiling. Apply the paint a couple of layers thick to keep paint from your roller brush from getting onto the ceiling.

Then, put down a layer of paper on the floor. Take some painters tape and run the painters tape along the edge of the floor, so that it meets with the wall. Use the painters tape to meet tape down the paper to the floor.

Once you have the walls properly prepared, then you can begin the priming and painting process. Taking the time to prepare the walls before you start will ensure your painting job looks great. Contact a residential painter for more help.

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