How To Prepare Interior Walls For Painting
Before painting the interior walls of a room you will need to prepare the room: remove furniture or cover it with sheets to avoid marking with paint. Fix possible cracks in the walls, protect the door frames and windows with tape, etc. However, you also have to prepare the interior wall surfaces that you want to paint so that they are smooth and even.
You will need to decide on the colors of paint to use and whether to use just one color or more than one. If you need inspiration, why not find out how to decorate according to Feng Shui or pick colors using color psychology.
You'll need:
- Plastic putty (to fill small cracks and level the uneven bits) and filler putty (to fill the deeper holes).
- Sealant and deep fixative
- Sandpaper.
- A clean cloth.
- Adhesive tape.
- A brush.
- A spatula.
Steps to follow:
First you have to protect the other surfaces and items in the room which you want to paint. You can do this with cardboard, cloth, paper, plastic and adhesive tape.
The next step is to know what type of plaster the wall that we're painting is, i.e. whether the plaster in good or bad condition so you know what type of paint you need to use. To do this, you have to make some marks on the wall and then do the same in the same area but in the opposite direction, leaving diamond shapes. When you have made different marks, stick adhesive tape over it and then pull it off. If when you do this the plaster comes lose, it means that the plaster is "dead" and needs to treated (more detail on this below). If the wall is damp you can read more about what you will need to do here.
The next step is to repair any possible imperfections in the walls, such as drilling holes. In this case you should use putty filler. Put some putty in the hole and spread it with a spatula. If the imperfection is a crack, make it bigger with a spatula. This way the putty can penetrate better. To cover it, spread the putty to cover the cracks with a spatula along the hole. However, if it is chipped you first have to scratch it with a spatula to even out the surface. Then apply the putty with a spatula over the chipped parts. It is always better to leave the putty for 24 hours to let it dry.
Once the putty is dry, sand the areas where you applied putty to achieve a smooth and even wall and to avoid marks in the putty.
Finally, clean the wall with a clean cloth to remove excess powder so you can paint the wall.
If the plaster is dead, you have to use a deep fixative and spread it well across the surface then leave it for 4 hours. However, if the plaster is in good condition, use a water sealant. Apply it with a roller all over the wall and let it dry for 3 hours.
Once the sealer of fixative is dry, you are all ready to start painting!
If you want to read similar articles to How To Prepare Interior Walls For Painting, we recommend you visit our Interior Design and Decor category.
Tips
- If the peeling is deep, you can give it a second coat.
