How to paint a wall: Good Preparations Part 2

We have discussed several steps in my last articleHow to paint a wall: Good Preparations Part 1. We will continue this topic today.

Step 4: Sanding and Primer (if applicable)

Sometimes the wall surface is not very smooth, so you need to sand it before paint is applied.

* For plaster and patched areas, you should sand it smooth with a medium then a fine grade sandpaper. After that, you should use a prepcoat or undercoat such as Dulux Prepcoat Acrylic Sealer Undercoat to prepare the surface for the top coat.

* For new woodwork , you should sand it with a medium grade sandpaper in the direction of the grain and then prime the surface with primer or prepcoat such as Dulux Prepcoat Acrylic Primer/Undercoat or Dulux Prepcoat Oil Based Undercoat to prevent tannin staining and provide excellent adhesion.

* For previously painted surfaces, especially gloss and semi gloss surfaces, you need to sand it thoroughly to roughen the surface and then use the primer. The higher the contrast the more likely that it is that you will need a primer. Primer also helps seal the wall and creates a smooth, nonporous surface ready for the top coat.



Step 5: A final clean and check

Before painting give your work a final clean and check. Wipe the walls thoroughly with a damp cloth and the woodwork in a cloth soaked in methylated spirits, to remove any remaining grime or dust.

Step 6: Masking

This is one of the most important steps for How to paint a wall. In order to get a clean line between the wall and the baseboards, light switches and anything else you don't want to accidentally paint, is to mask them off with tape. Although this step is often seen as unduly time-consuming, skipping it will result in an unprofessional finish.

Please make sure you buy the right masking tape. At DIY stores or other painter shops, ask the shop assistant for "painter's tape" or " Masking tape". Press down against the tape with your finger or a putty knife to seal it against the surface. This will prevent paint from seeping behind the tape.




That's How to paint a wall and you are now ready to paint.

How to paint a wall: Good Preparations Part 1

The first answer for How to paint a wall is doing good preparations. Only if you have done preparations for the wall, it is possible you can paint a beautiful wall professionally.

Step1: Calculating the paint amount

You will need to calculate the number of cans needed to make sure you have enough paint for the wall. Measure the length of all the walls and add them together, then times this number by the height of the room; this will give you the total volume of your room in feet squared. Basically each 1 gallon [ 3.8 litre] can of paint will cover an average of between 118 – 150 Square Feet [3.3 and 4.2 m2] and you should purchase enough for at least 2 coats.



Step 2: Wallpaper removal (if applicable)

You may know this even you don't know how to paint a wall. You need choose to use a remover solution such as Polypaper peel, or rent a steaming machine. Newer vinyl wall covering can often be peeled off dry by hand. If they leave a backing paper residue, you can remove it by sponging on warm water and peeling it off or scraping it with a broad-bladed scraper. Many types of wallpaper, especially in an old age are less cooperative and may require scratching with a very coarse sand paper to facilitate the water or solution to penetrate.



Step3: Filling and Patching

Before I learned how to paint a wall, I always forget this step. There are a number of fillers that can be used to fill holes in wood. Polyfilla putty and Polyfilla Ready to use Interior Timber are the two popular products to use on interior wood: simply make sure the hole is clean and apply the filler with a spatula or putty knife. In places like the joins between architraves and walls, a flexible filler such as Polyfilla Gap Sealant is recommended. Comparatively, it is easier to fill holes in plasterboard or hard plaster. Scrape away any loose paint, plaster and fill the hole with Polyfilla Ready To Use Skim Coat.

If the edges of holes are cracked and unstable, a self adhesive patch will make the job easier. Larger holes in plasterboard will need a patch inserted such as Polyfilla Patching tape. Cut away the damaged section and use contact adhesive to put in wood or plasterboard backing strips, then fix the patch onto the strips.

Find out more in "How to paint a wall: Good Preparations Part 2"