Benjamin Moore offers tips on how to prepare interior home walls for painting, including cleaning and removing wallpaper. The right tools are essential for a better finish, and it’s worth spending extra time and care on prepping your walls before painting. A well-prepared wall will ensure a great, long-lasting paint finish.
To prepare a previously painted wall, fill holes and cracks, sand the walls, clean them, let them dry, and clean up any mess. Use a mixture of lukewarm water and mild soap, gently rubbing in a circular motion. Rinse the walls using a slightly damp cellulose sponge.
To prepare drywall for paint or paint over old walls, follow these simple steps:
Make space by inspecting the walls for damage, repairing it if necessary, sanding the walls, and letting them dry.
Clean the walls thoroughly with sugar soap and rinse them with clean water to remove any residue.
Protect the area by removing nails, hooks, and screws, sanding the walls, cleaning them, and priming them.
Prime the walls by cleaning with sugar soap, smoothing them with a paint scraper, and filling any holes.
In summary, proper wall preparation is crucial for a great paint job in any room. By following these simple steps, you can achieve a high-quality paint finish and save money on your painting project.
📹 How to Prep for Painting (w/ Monica from The Weekender)
Pro painting tip #1: Don’t skip the prep. Monica Mangin from “The Weekender” walks through the tips and tricks to getting a …
What happens if you don’t sand before painting?
Sanding is a crucial step in preparing surfaces for painting, as it helps remove imperfections and roughen glossy surfaces for paint or filling compound to adhere easily. It can be done by hand or with electric tools, and it is essential for removing imperfections on walls, ceilings, furniture, and floors. Oversanding and undersanding can occur, but it is essential for a smooth and durable finish. Despite the potential risks, sanding is a simple process that requires patience, protective gear, and elbow grease.
Can you paint over unwashed walls?
Before painting, ensure your wall is spotless to prevent paint from sticking. Use baking soda to clean stubborn stains, pour warm water over the top, and apply the solution to the wall with a clean cloth. Dry the wall with a towel and wait for a couple of hours before applying paint or primer. If the problem persists, try trisodium phosphate (TSP), a powerful wall cleaner, but wear safety goggles and rubber gloves. Mix a quarter cup of TSP with hot water and apply the solution to the wall with a sponge. Remove any loose paint before cleaning, using a putty knife or plastic scraper.
Can you paint over a dirty wall?
To clean a wall for paint application, use warm, soapy water and a sponge to remove dust and grime. If soap and water aren’t enough, create a DIY cleaning solution by adding distilled white vinegar to warm water. Make sure the wall is spotless before starting paint, as dirt makes it difficult for paint to stick. For stubborn stains, use baking soda, a substance used to clean sinks and toilets, and apply it to the wall with a clean cloth. Dry the wall with a towel and wait for a few hours before applying paint or primer.
If trouble persists, try trisodium phosphate (TSP), a powerful wall cleaner, but wear safety goggles and rubber gloves. Mix a cup of TSP with hot water and apply the solution to the wall with a sponge. Remove any loose paint before cleaning, using a putty knife or plastic scraper.
Can I just paint over old paint?
In the event that the wall is in satisfactory condition and the paint is of a similar chemical composition (latex), it is possible to utilise a primer in order to conceal the existing colour and subsequently apply one or two coats of the new paint. A more recent innovation is paint and primer in one, which may prove an optimal solution for your particular circumstances and potentially reduce the overall duration of the project.
How do you prepare a bad wall for painting?
To prepare your walls for painting, fill holes and cracks, sand the walls with fine sandpaper, clean the walls, and let them dry. This is the first step to achieve the best finish. Safety is crucial, so keep the room as ventilated as possible and wear appropriate masks and protective gloves when using sugar soap. To prepare a previously painted wall, fill holes and cracks, sand the walls, clean the walls, and let the walls dry. Remember to keep the room as ventilated as possible and wear protective gloves when using sugar soap.
Why don t professional painters wash walls before painting?
Professional painters typically do not wash walls with a detergent solution to prevent damage to drywall or trim. Instead, they lightly sand or “scuff” the walls with fine-grit sandpaper, typically 100-grit or 150-grit, using a pole sander in a circular motion. This process not only removes grime better than wet sponges or soapy water but also increases paint adhesion by removing the previous paint’s sheen. The average cost of professional painting contractors per day is also discussed in a new article.
How do professional painters prep walls?
Before painting, it is crucial to priming walls for a smooth and professional finish. This involves thorough surface preparation and cleaning of the wall surfaces. Walls should be washed with special cleaners or mild detergents, and any stubborn stains removed. For interior walls, a mild soap solution is used to gently wash off grime buildup from cooking fumes and dirt. Pressure washing may be used on exterior walls to remove built-up dirt or debris.
Once all loose particles are removed, priming is done. Primer provides a layer between the existing finish and the new coat of paint, promoting better adhesion. This prevents chipping or peeling prematurely due to poor bonding properties. After a final inspection for any missed spots, the walls are clean and primed, ready for their glossy finish. Applying caulk or putty can seal any gaps between surfaces, creating a more professional-looking finish.
Do professional painters wash walls before painting?
Prior to the application of paint, it is the responsibility of the painter to ensure that the walls are free from any debris, dust, dirt, or grease, in order to prevent the adhesion of such substances to the highest caliber paint. This is also done to maintain the paint manufacturer’s warranty coverage.
What do you clean interior walls with before painting?
The best cleaning solution for preparing walls for painting is a mixture of mild detergent and warm water, which is effective for most walls. For kitchen walls, a mixture of warm water and mild dish soap can remove stubborn greasy spots. Non-chemical cleaning solutions like distilled white vinegar or baking soda can also be used. Safety is crucial, so wear rubber gloves during the cleaning process. The initial sweep involves removing loose dust and debris from the walls, which is a crucial step in prepping for painting.
Before starting, protect floors by covering them with tarps or old blankets. Choose the right dusting tool, such as a soft broom, a brush tied with a microfiber cloth, or a vacuum with brush attachments, and work from the top down the wall to ensure efficient removal of dust and cobwebs.
Do you need to prep interior walls before painting?
Painting walls is a crucial process for decorating or remodeling a room. It may take time and effort, but with proper preparation, the process will go smoothly and yield better results. Proper ventilation is essential when sanding or abrading the dried film, and if not provided, wear an approved particulate respirator (NIOSH approved). However, removal of old paint by sanding or scraping may generate dust or fumes containing lead, which can cause brain damage or adverse health effects, especially in children or pregnant women.
Controlling exposure to lead requires proper protective equipment, such as a respirator (NIOSH approved), and proper containment and cleanup. For more information, contact the National Lead Information Center or your local health authority.
📹 Interior Painting Step 1: Prepping a Room
Venmo @John-Burbidge-3 to buy me a beer for making these free videos. Thx! 🙂 John Burbidge, author of the book “Watching …
Awwww glad I saw this article. We just brought a home and I’m actually sitting in the middle of a room floor staring at my computer figuring where the heck I’m going to start. I want to do upgrades on my home myself where I can feel extra proud. Figuring out colors has me cornered for the moment but surely I’ll get to the right place.
It took me about four days of prep job the wall bc I had to put down a textured wallpaper which had a white wash on top and left a lot of glue behind… the wall underneath wasn’t prepped nor had any paint job so it look like a funny patchy field. It was a lot of work but mostly it required so much waiting time!!. Sanding was definitely the best thing ever, it made the wall so smooth. Finally I could add the color to the wall when all the prep plus primer was done only to realize that the paint doesn’t look even lol so it will require another day of waiting and another layer. Sigh. I can only imagine what I would have had to pay if I contracted anyone for this. But I’m doing a good job. Phew.
Hello Monica. Stumbled across you while searching for info otherwise & thought, painting is on the list so id give myself time with you. OMG! Impressed i am. Step by step with clarity & understanding. Monica, you showed taping the wall to paint the baseboards, however painted the baseboards ‘free’ handed. How long after the walls should I do the baseboards; dry to the touch may differ from using tape. Does the quality of paint reflect dry time (in your opinion)? I was sooo impressed I’ve subscribed & can’t wait to hear your delivery of other projects. Are there any on applying ‘molding’ on walls /ceilings. Thanx Monica. Peace
People always talk about crawlspace issues and completely ignore the primary question. Where does the moisture come from to begin with? When a home is built, typically, a foundation is dug of one type or another, concrete poured, and the excess that was removed is back filled against the foundation. Since the soil has been disturbed, it now is less compacted which water will soak into much easier than more compacted dirt. This dirt is supposed to be compacted, but never is so essentially you have a water magnet. Then you add the thick bushes around the house that block the sun so the ground never dries. Then the gutter guys come along and drop the gutters right up against the home dumping more water where it doesn’t belong. On top of all that the dirt under the home is typically lower than outside causing more issues. Fix the outside of the home and the crawlspace becomes much less of an issue.
Monica we love you!!! My 7 year old daughter has watched every one of your shows several times and can explain the details and mechanics of home improvement work thanks to you. Not only that, when asked what she wants to be when she grows – she says what Monica does – we were just thinking this week that maybe we should see if you could come to our home to help us with a room, but how can we find you?
Love the articles, some great ideas. Me & the stores don’t really get along though. I still remember the 1st time I saw one of these articles and went rushing there with my ideas. It has been a slippery slope. Every one I’ve been to has terrible customer service and inventory. I always dread having to go there. They try to make you feel as if you are the weird one for interrupting their day to ask for something they have a sign for, but don’t carry in the store. They simply refer you to amazon.
This is a fantastic article! I have a list of things to get. I’ve been wanting to makeover my bedroom and I know it needs a paint job. I will be removing Ikea cabintry/wardrobe to make more room but I’m so intimidated by DIY projects. This will take time but now I think I can do it! How about the ceiling?
So funny to see Monica mention eye protection and face mask but not have her hair tucked away in a shower cap. Other than that, great presentation! Glad to see the confirmation that I was doing the right steps and had the right tools! I especially loved the use of the painter’s knife (multipurpose tool) for the caulking edge!
Thank you for such a detailed article. I have some textured walls where the paint has been peeled off to the drywall. How do I prep that area for painting? I get the concept of scraping off all the loose edges and using a filler to go over it so the edge is sealed and not rough, but what do I do about the texture of the wall? It is about eyeball height and I don’t really want just a smooth spot on the wall that is sure to show up after being painted. Thanks for any advice you can give!
Prep work is the most important part of any paint job and takes the longest amount of time. A lot of people get in a hurry and just want to get paint on the walls and then get disappointed when their paint job doesn’t look how they thought it would. If you’re going to spend money to paint, spend some extra time and effort to prep the surface to ensure your paint job will turn out looking great.
My walls right now has drawings, crayons, pencils, pen marks, and spider webs in the corners. All courtesy of a girl in her toddler days. The walls in this article has none of that but it doesn’t matter as a spray bottle with mild detergent can take care of the spider webs and dirt. The paint with overwhelm and cover up the child’s scribble and artwork, nice! Thanks so much for your article.
Monica, are you a teacher when you’re not doing articles? If not, well you should be You are fabulous! Not too loud that I had to keep turning you down. Not too quiet that I strained to hear. Very informative and concise. To be frank, I could listen to you all day, but damn it, I have a room to go prep. Thanks for the great tutorial! CHEERS from Kansas City, MO!
Excellent presentation, but to be honest, I kind of cheat my through the prep process and only pay attention to trouble areas. I’m like most people, except for taping, I don’t spend a lot of time on prep, likely because we move on average every ten years into new homes so the walls and so forth are still in excellent shape. We are late on this 5th move, a serious motorcycle accident some years ago put us behind our moving schedule. I spent three months as an apprentice painter out of high school, just to save some money for college and most of what I did was sand, tape, caulk, and clean old lead paint buckets (yuk). We used lye to clean the buckets and I had to do a lot of them daily. I constantly splashed droplets of lye on my body and was lucky enough to not get any of it in my eyes. You knew if it touched bare skin because it burned on contact. I also helped paint the entire basement of a high school in San Francisco and in those days, rarely if at all wore face masks, respirators, or any other kinds of protection to think of. We sprayed and brush painted everything down there and after a while, you got a little dizzy. It’s no wonder many painters took to alcohol to take the edge off after breathing harmful chemicals all day. I was glad to leave that job at the end of the summer. However, I did come away with a good base of knowledge and to this day I enjoy painting actually, especially taping. There was one guy I worked with that was the goto master for matching paint colors.
I am having trouble with when I paint, after the paint has dried, it looks rough in certain areas, almost like its been sanded. I’ve tried changing the primer from oil based primer to water based and then when I paint, it stills looks like it has been sanded. Do you have any suggestions as to what I might be doing wrong?
There are several runs/drips from a sloppy paint job that I am having trouble with. I suck at DIY so I’ve been trying to fill some holes from a few guitar hangers using joint compound. Our previous contractor punched a nice 4″ hole on the bottom of the back wall I tried fixing with a screen and joint compound. I’m usually not a “good enough” type, but am reaching My limit. I like the idea of using dish soap prior to painting. This is not how I wanted to spend My week off, painting two ceilings(I did the bathroom ceiling as well). Thanks for a great article!
Ill never buy any more damn paint from Lowes till they can have enough respect for the painters to bring back those pull out pour spouts! Every time you pull those damn plugs that they use nowadays the crap splatters all over you and anything within 5 damn feet!!! Just ruined a good pair of jeans yesterday because of it! NEVER AGAIN!!!
I looked for that 3M spackle and it actually doesn’t indicate anywhere on its packaging just how long it takes to dry – it only says it dries “3x faster”. 3x faster than what? Without a point of comparison that statement is meaningless. As the packaging was slightly different than what Monica showed I didn’t trust it and went with a Dap brand that actually stated how long it would take to dry
Lady where have been thank youuuuuuu…soooo very much my husband and I love you….because of your teacher we are saving money and as you know calling a contractor for minor works like that can be pricy but because of you we are able to do it…..I’m taking picture before of one side of the wall where I’m going to paint first then picture after….
Great tips, but your caulking method wastes a ton on caulk – which is money. Instead, next time cut a smaller hole off the tube tip and run the caulk bead straight into the edge or pushing towards the direction of movement, and squeeze gently – don’t angle it with the pull direction or squeeze too much out. This ensures that you get it directly into the crevasses with less waste.
You are an excellent teacher! IMO this is the best painting prep article I have found. Very comprehensive, clear and complete. For a beginner, like myself, DYI is not common sense. I need good advice. Thanks. One question for anyone out there. Why tape off baseboards and frames if I’m painting them the same color?….Uhhh, never mind. Watched your companion article and saw that you painted TWO colors.
Tip-remove all pets and kids and necessary items first to a place that’s safe and easy to access away from work area and where items are stored. Things get pretty crowded fast when you empty out a room, especially with kids. Good to have articles to refer too. Keep sharing=caring. Prayers to the journey especially as you uncover work problems in your work. Another dust tip- wet sand first with sponge on Spackle areas then fine sand lightly, usually does the trick. Also a light layer of clothes under work clothes and she’s is more desirable along with tie back hair in bun and baseball cap with facial safety gear and good ventilation. When done strip work garments into plastic bag take outside shake before washing, this reduces contamination of the rest of your home and family, take a shower and just water is probably good enough. Plastic gloves can also protect your hands. This stuff you work with has a lot of warnings, heed them especially when working on large areas. Consider carefully changing drop cloths as that dust will still be there. If bad vaccum walls and ceilings. At the end of your project air room out for 1 or note days and make sure outdoors does not get in. This helps reduce exposure and you should alsoput plastic over door but not tightly so you can keep dust in room and fumes in room. Even consider air filter after job is done. Ones health and life has to be a top priority as we get chronically insulted daily from air, water, food and medical treatments of any kind including toothpaste, too many folk with autoimmune diseases and cancers.
As u were putting on the tape, I noticed a lot of imperfections on the wall. Holes and lines. That is a no no with me. This is why I will never hire ppl. When u do it yourself u actually care enough to do a good job. These ppl u hire won’t. They’ll do a quick sloppy job and on to the next. Actually prepping and painting a room takes a very long time, depending on how much damage u have to fix. I had a lot. You wouldn’t believe the condition of the walls in the house we bought. Literally every inch of every wall and ceiling had to be spackled sanded and spackled again over and over. It was a TON OF WORK . But the end results were beautiful
As a female diy homeowner with ambitious projects, I feel intimidated by starting new projects; even ones I have done before and wish that I had done better…thank you for the detailed demos! I have much more confidence with your directions, and positive that I can improve and learn as I go…thank you!
For those who never really or ever done any caulking needs to know most caulk guns have a trigger pressure release & or turning the pressure stick handle to unlock it’s pressure will stop the caulk from continuing to spew out & dripping everywhere. to also note the smaller you cut the opening at the tip is the finer amount will squeeze out. You need also run your finger over it with dipping your finger in water for a better smooth coverage. Beware that large gaps may take another coat. I am a good man to have on hand’ Dave the handyman. Good luck & God Bless!
Whole family watched all of this series, fantastic info. I have often said I would rather clean out a septic tank than paint because when painting I knew before I started that I would always be unhappy with the result. This helped greatly with that. Got the book as well, I know it is not a how to paint book but a book about painters, I like biographies. Thanks for both.
Hi–If you watch the entire series you will see how I “edge” these lines between wall/ceiling and wall/trim. I often do the lines freehand, and I show the tricks I use to make them look straight. In certain instances it pays to use tape though, especially when you have natural-wood trim (use blue tape). I also usually tape things I am painting above, such as baseboard, to prevent splatter. Too much to explain here completely…it’s all in the articles. Thanks!
Please do you have one on skirtboards, my worst nightmare. Evey article i found so far is about painting them but none show how to prep. Also they all look already decorated! If you can make a article when you do your next job, to show what to do in the worst case scenario, i appreciate it.. Cheers Thanks for all your articles.
I subbed after one article! I appreciate how well put together this was made. Plenty of thoughtfulness but so simple. It makes me confident and i appreciate that. The way the information was taught equipes me properly! I have my room totally cleared out and need to get ready for a new color! We are even getting new floors in so i wanna do this RIGHT. Thanks so much!!
John, good article. However, I have some questions I was not able to find on your website. How do you prep a wall that is freshly drywalled. Currently I am working on such a project and i find that after sanding the patched screw holes and taping, I made the surrounding paper on the drywal a little fuzzy. Will the primer take care of fixing that or will that be an ugly eye sore? Also, how many coats of primer/ paint?
1 You don’t need to completely clear a room of everything in it unless you are messy and incompetent, and you can do the room in the same space of time. So bullshit on that one mate. 2. The edges of holes should be rounded inward to render the patch invisible after sanding. Often the edge of a hole is sitting up proud of the surface and the patch will not work. Don’t use spackle on larger patches as it doesn’t sand well and takes longer to sand out. Use Drydex or ready mixed drywall compound, the dust control one. 3. It is not always necessary to sand or scuff the trim. It depends on what you are going over and the product you are refinishing with. 4. a duster brush is just as effective. All that vacuuming is not necessary till the end. Keep your sheets in tight. 5. Your angle on the caulking tube tip depends on the angle you hold the gun. Everyone is different. Also, prime old stained wood with a stain blocking primer first then caulk the gaps all around. And you don’t have to give caulking a day to dry. 6. any good painter will not tape or mask the top of a baseboard or the edges of windows and door frames… Okay… there;’s way more here and there’s no point. This guys a joke and not a pro tradesman. If he went to work for a painting company he’d be gone before lunch.
In reply to Kerpal Singh, your exactly right though a steady hand is usually a professionals domain, in the UK we never use masking tape on our jobs BUT i would definitely use masking tape for any surfaces that are not to be touched, it is less hassle than not to have peace of mind especially if the householders are quite posh and like to see a clean tradesman.
Question, I am paying a professional painter to paint the interior of my home. He is on day 4. I am noticing that he has not filled in the little holes. He is just painting over them. However. You can still see that there’s a hole there. Your article confirms that he is not doing a thorough job. Trying to find the best way to approach him without making him fee as though I am trying to tell him how to do his job. Any advice as to how I can bring this to his attention ? Thanks
if i am using a sprayer, if i do the ceilings first can i go over the scotia with ceiling paint or do i need to put an enamal on scotia, if i do need enamel can i paint over it with ceiling paint and then over that with enamel? also can i spray all the skirting boards etc and go over them with enamel afterward? thanks, this article was helpful as.
You bet, Paul. There is a surprising amount of diversity of opinion regarding painting methods, and these articles represent my opinion and experience on what has worked best for me, but there are also other ways to do things, so make sure you keep an open mind. And good luck with the painting business!
One thing missed that I think is also good to do is wash/rinse down the walls. A lot of dust and debris gets attached and coats the walls. Any slightly oxidized paint will attract dust also. Depending on where you live, the environment may be dirty….coal dust, sea salts, humidity, smog, agricultural/farm land. Even with windows closed all year long, that stuff gets into your house. Dust in your carpets can be pushed onto the walls when vacuuming…..and pets shed and have dander. A quick rinse with a damp sponge and warm water helps to remove a lot of the accumulated dust and debris. Think your walls are clean already? Get a bucket of warm water and a sponge and just wipe down a 4’x4′ section and see if your sponge rinses out clean….I bet it won’t. And if it’s like a kitchen, you will have grease and other things on your walls so best to wash it down with something like a TSP solution and then rinse with water. It’s an extra step but I think it can make a big difference….it is a PITA to do though….LOL. I just finished painting 10 rooms in my house! 2 more to go!
No offense, but if you have to remove every stick of furniture from a room, then you are not an efficient painter. you are creating a lot of extra work for no reason other than your lack of intelligence and planning. pull thing away from 1 wall at a time with a 4-5 ft clearance to do walls and have you ever used a drop cloth? its good when you do the ceilings. please stop trying to act like an expert when you dont even have common sense. its ridiculous.