How To Prepare Walls For Painting?

Getting ready to paint your walls? Proper surface preparation is the key to achieving the perfect result. In our article, we will tell you about the importance of the process and will analyze in detail how to prepare walls for painting. Learn how to properly sand, prime and apply base coats so that your painting is not only beautiful but also durable.

What should walls be like for painting?

During the renovation, various materials can be chosen and painting the walls does not lose popularity, despite the variety of other decor options. For successful painting, it is extremely important that the base is perfectly prepared. As a rule, the paint forms only a thin layer, which is not able to hide surface defects such as cracks, roughness or depressions. These defects become especially noticeable after the paint dries, and it will be impossible to correct them.

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The surface prepared for painting should not only be smooth and even, but also completely dry. The presence of moisture can seriously interfere with the adhesion of the paint, which will lead to its cracking and rapid delamination. Therefore, it is important not only to thoroughly dry the walls after their preparation, but also to treat them with a primer. Priming not only improves the adhesion of the paint to the surface, but also promotes a more uniform application and a reduction in the consumption of paint material.

Let's look at how to properly prepare walls for painting

Step #1: Cleaning the walls before painting

While there is no universal cleaning method, most walls can be effectively cleaned with a sponge and warm water. For kitchen walls, where grease or grime is common, use a solution of detergent and water to dissolve the grease, then rinse the surfaces thoroughly with clean water to remove any remaining detergent. Finish the process by wiping the walls with a damp cloth.

It is very important to let the walls dry completely before proceeding. Applying paint or primer to damp walls can cause blisters and other problems. When preparing the surface, make sure that the mold on the walls is completely removed, as the paint will not hide the mold - it can grow through the new layer, complicating future maintenance. It is important to note that the mold must be removed at the initial stage of surface preparation.

To remove mold, use a solution of one part bleach and three to four parts water. Apply the solution to the affected areas, leave for a few minutes, then gently scrub with a soft brush and rinse the treated area with clean water. Be sure to use gloves and safety glasses while working, and allow the surface to dry thoroughly.

Step #2: Sanding the walls before painting

Sanding the walls is an important step in how to prepare walls for painting, especially if there are any uneven surfaces that could affect the quality of the finish. For walls previously coated with glossy paint, use fine-grit sandpaper, and for walls with oil-based paint, use medium-grit sandpaper (100 to 150). Wipe off any dust from the walls with a damp cloth and allow them to dry completely before applying paint.

You should also pay attention to old layers of paint that may be chipping or peeling. Don't paint over chipped paint; instead, carefully remove any loose paint by sanding or scraping to provide a solid base for your new coat.

Step #3: Align the walls if necessary

If the wall is poorly leveled, you may need to level the walls with a plaster mixture before the puttying stage.

Step #4: Putty

Skim coat is the first step in preparing the walls for painting. This stage is critical to ensure an even and high-quality coating. Plaster and drywall, being porous materials, require a special approach: plaster is too granular, which can lead to uneven distribution of paint, and drywall absorbs paint, changing the color saturation and reducing the durability of the coating, and also has a joint that will be visible. Skim coat in this case helps to make the base for painting a uniform surface.

The starting putty has a finer structure compared to plaster, but a larger one than the finishing mixture. This allows you to effectively level out minor irregularities in the wall and fill cracks. Two types of spatulas are used for the work: a wide one (from 40 cm) for distributing the putty on the wall and a narrow one (up to 20 cm) for applying the mixture to a wide spatula. It is important to distribute the putty evenly, filling all the gaps and irregularities, without striving for perfect smoothness at this stage. The corners deserve special attention:

• To strengthen cracks, external corners and joints of walls with door and window openings, a reinforcing mesh is used. This prevents shrinkage of materials and increases the strength of the coating. The mesh is applied to a thin layer of putty and fixed with an overlap.

• To form neat internal corners, a corner-forming tape is used, which is also fixed on a thin layer of putty. After this, additional puttying follows to create a flat and smooth surface.

• After the putty has dried (at least 6 hours), it is necessary to sand it using a sanding sponge or mesh with 120 grain to remove small irregularities and prepare the wall for the next stage.

Next, a finishing putty is required, it provides a smooth and even coating, preventing paint from seeping through and changing its color. The application of this putty should be a thin layer (no more than 2 mm) to avoid cracks. After finishing the putty, sand again, this time using a mesh with a cell size of 60-80, to finally prepare the wall for painting.

The quality of the final finish is checked using a lamp directed at an angle to the wall, which allows even the smallest surface defects to be detected. All detected irregularities must be carefully sanded. This technology of wall preparation guarantees high quality of the final coating and its durability.

Step #5: Priming the walls before painting

Using a primer ensures optimal adhesion to the paint, especially on porous surfaces. The primer creates a smooth base for the paint, ensuring uniform coverage. Choose a primer depending on the type of base.

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Top Tips for Preparing Different Wall Surfaces for Painting

• Preparing new plaster for painting. New plaster is porous and may not absorb paint evenly. To prevent this, we recommend applying a primer before painting. Alternatively, you can use diluted paint as a first coat. For example, 700 ml of paint with 300 ml of water mix, apply a thin layer and let it dry for a few hours before applying two full coats of paint.

• Preparing gloss surfaces for painting. Glossy surfaces require careful sanding to remove shine. After sanding, wipe the surface with a damp cloth to remove dust and wait until it dries completely. 

• Preparing walls after removing wallpaper. How to prepare walls for painting after wallpapering - carefully remove the remaining wallpaper with a putty knife. If the wallpaper cannot be removed, soak it with a sponge with hot water to soften it before removing, then finish the process with light sanding.

• Preparing a brick wall for painting. Just like freshly plastered walls, brick is also porous and can absorb paint. Using special deep-penetrating primers, apply the coating and let it dry. Then apply two coats of undiluted paint.

All these steps can be done independently, saving on the costs of hired labor. Having figured out how to remove wallpaper, prepare the walls for painting, all that remains is to purchase high-quality tools and materials for finishing. Everything you need for repairs can be found in the assortment of our store . Detailed conditions for placing an order, delivery and payment are described in the corresponding section of the site.