How To Prep Walls Before Painting
Prepping walls is the key to a professional finish and is worth the time and effort. Before starting you need to inspect your walls and understand requirements prior to applying your new coat of paint, and if a primer is required. Let us help you understand how and where to start if you are tackling some challenging walls and items you can buy at The Paint Shed to achieve a flawless looking, professional finish.
1. Flaking or Peeling Paint
What to look out for:
Loose, cracked or peeling paint coming away from the wall.
How to fix it:
Scrape off all loose paint using a paint scraper or filling knife
Sand the area with sandpaperÂ
Apply a primer like Zinsser BIN Primer to bind the surface
Finish with your chosen top coatÂ
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2. Uneven or Rough Surfaces
What to look out for:
Bumpy patches or uneven rough plaster.
How to fix it:
- Sand the wall to smooth out high spots
- Apply a skim coat of filler or finishing plaster if required
- Sand again once dry to achieve a flat, even surface
- Apply a primer before using your chosen top coatÂ
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3. Holes and/or Cracks
What to look out for:
Small or large holes from screws, old fixings, or larger cracks in paint and or plaster
How to fix it:
- Clean out the hole
- Fill with an appropriate wall filler
- Let it fully dry
- Once dry, sand until smooth
- Prime then apply your top coatÂ
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4. Stains or Damp Marks
What to look out for:
Water stains, nicotine marks or patches bleeding through old paint. Note, any serious damp/mould issues need to be fully treated at the root cause.Â
How to fix it:
- Identify and fix the source of damp first
- Clean the surface if needed
- Apply a stain-blocking primer
- Then apply your top coatÂ
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5. Dirty or Greasy Walls
What to look out for:
Dust, grease or general grime - regularly found in kitchens and utility spaces.
How to fix it:
- Wash the wall with sugar soap or a degreasing cleaner
- Rinse and allow to dry fully
- Lightly sand if needed for better adhesion
- Apply primer if the surface is bare or patchy, then paint
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