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How to Prepare Walls for Painting

Your walls help to set the tone of the rooms in your house. Something as simple as wall colour can dictate if a room is going to have a warm or cool atmosphere, how much light it needs, and what furniture will compliment the space.

A DIY paint job can look just as good as a professional job with the right preparation, tools and knowhow. All it takes is ensuring you follow the proper steps. First you need to prepare your walls for painting. While it might sound like a small step that you can skip, taking the time to prepare your walls will help you have a long lasting and even paint job.

What you need to prepare walls for painting

If you’ve never painted before, it can be easy to think that all you need is a brush and then you can start dashing on a coat of paint. Proper preparation gives your walls the best chance for a top quality finish. Take the time to consider the material and texture of the wall you are painting as different walls require different paints; for example, oil based paint for moldings and trims.

Ensuring you have all the necessary tools, materials, and paints before you start painting a room will allow for the paint process to be much smoother.

Here’s a little checklist of the things you need to help you prepare your walls for painting:

  • Sturdy ladder
  • Drop sheet
  • Gap fillers
  • Caulking gun
  • Sandpaper
  • Hand sander
  • Sugar soap
  • Masking tape
  • Brushes (both large and small)
  • Paint roller
  • Paint scraper
  • Paint Materials

Clean the wall before painting

You’ve most likely never washed your walls with water or detergent in fear of wrecking the paint. Now’s the time to get out a sponge and start scrubbing! Over time, walls can gather layers of dust and dirt which, if painted over, can really impact the smoothness and longevity of your freshly painted wall. This step is especially crucial if you have ever had children or pets running around your home.

 

To start cleaning your wall, begin by using a brush or cloth to remove excess dust that might not necessarily be visible to the eye. Taking a vacuum to the skirting board will not only allow for a more precise clean, but will also help the masking tape stick once you’re ready to start painting. Next with a mild detergent in water, use a damp sponge to give the wall a gentle wash down. Make sure the sponge isn’t saturated, we don’t want the walls to get soaked.

Repair cracks in walls before painting

It can be quite a dilemma when a crack appears in a wall. No matter how many layers of paint you apply, it will never be entirely covered. You can try a patch repair but a new layer of paint will always stand out against the older coat. 

 

Painting your walls is the perfect excuse to finally start filling in any problematic cracks or dents in your wall before the sanding and painting process begins. Doing this will help your walls look brand new and your paint job look flawless.

Sand the walls

Painting a wall should be like painting over a blank canvas. You shouldn’t have to deal with any bumps, lumps or imperfections on the surface you plan to paint. Sanding your walls before painting helps to create a nice even surface free of any burrs, bubbling, peeling, or rough spots. Plus, if you had any cracks that needed repair in your wall, sanding the filling down will eliminate any raised textures that might peak through your paint.

Ensuring your wall has been properly sanded before you start painting will also help improve the lifespan of your newly painted walls.

Time to start painting

Once the cleaning is done, the cracks are filled and the walls are sanded, it is time to get out the masking tape and start painting. Adding a layer of masking tape between your skirting boards and your wall will allow for a more precise and professional finish, and will also prevent colours from running together. The same masking can be done around your windows to prevent paint getting on the glass.

A top tip for painting your wall is to not start directly from the edge, but instead the centre of the wall. Starting from the centre will give you more surface area to evenly distribute the paint and prevent thick layers of paint clumping in the corners of the wall.

At Park Road Timber & Hardware we have all the paints, materials, tools and specialist advice you need to get the job done. Whether it is a small scale paint job for one room, or you’re DIY painting your whole house, we are your one stop shop for your home makeover essentials. If you need to know more about what you need to get your project going, simply give us a call on  03 9909 5397 or send us a message via our online contact form and we’ll help you start your DIY journey.

Your Local Hardware Store

At Park Road Timber & Hardware has the tools, equipment and specialist advice needed to help you get the job done.

Whether you’re about to start a large scale DIY project, need tools for a small job or anything in between, we are here to help. As the one-stop shop for all your DIY needs, Park Road Timber & Hardware have got you covered.

Give us a call today on 03 9909 5397 or send us a message via our online contact form, to begin your DIY journey today.