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Preparing Walls for Painting

A common thread through our blog posts is that preparation is key. So, it’ll come as no surprise that if you’re planning to paint your walls this weekend, we at Pelham Painters suggest you first complete the following prep-steps before you lay down the first brush stroke.

1. Scrape and sand

If you’re painting over a previous paint job, it’s important that you scrape as much of the old paint off as you can. Not only will you get rid of paint flakes, you’ll also clean the wall of efflorescence (that white powdery substance) and other defects such as blistering and cracking.

When you’re done, spend some time sanding the rougher edges to smoothen them out for a better finish.

2. Fill the cracks

To ensure the smoothest surface possible, mix up some crack filler and use a putty knife to fill imperfections such as broken and cracked plaster and nail holes. When the filler is dry, use some sandpaper to smoothen things up.

You can also fill cracks with one or two thin base coats, applied gently with a roller. Note that two thin coats will be more adhesive than one thick coat.

3. Time to prime

The purpose of priming an exterior wall is to stop moisture from seeping through in the future. If your wall is new, a single coat of primer will be fine.

Your choice of primer for interior walls depends on if you’re after a glossy or rough finish. For a sleek and shiny surface, choose an oil or acrylic primer. Plasterboard primer is the right choice for porous surfaces.

If your walls have stained areas, think about spot priming them to make your surface 100% smudge-free before starting the paint job.

4. Test the colour

Before committing to a colour, we recommend purchasing a sample pot of 2 or 3 shades of the colour you’re considering and painting them to a small portion of the wall to see how they look when dry. Here’s a tip: paint two coats of each small strip because that’s when the true colour will shine through.

Call Pelham Painters in Hobart

Considering the importance of prep, you might want to call in the experts to take on the job. At Pelham Painters, we’re happy to help, so please get in touch.