Preparing Surfaces Before Painting

Before you begin to paint, every surface requires some attention and preparation. It’s the difference between a great paint job and a sloppy one.

Removing Wallpaper

This process can get messy and will get a lot of water on the floor, so make sure you've securely taped off baseboards and covered the entire floor.

1. Use a scoring tool to slice the wallpaper
   • This will allow the wallpaper remover to penetrate the paper more effectively.
   • For wallpaper that has been painted, slice and puncture as much paper as possible.
2. Remove wallpaper adhesive
   • Wear rubber gloves when working with wallpaper adhesives.
   • Follow the manufacturer's instructions carefully.
   • Use a scraper on residual adhesive.
3. Rinse the walls with hot water

Preparing Walls and Ceilings

How to mend cracks, holes and dents before painting!

1. Wear safety glasses and a dust mask.
2. Use a putty knife to remove any chips or flakes.
3. Clean the crack or hole with a brush or vacuum.
4. Rinse with hot water and let the area dry thoroughly.
5. Using a putty knife, fill the cracks with a wall filler mixture, spreading the filler past the edges of the crack.
   • Smooth the filler while it’s still wet.
   • For large cracks in your walls, Build it has the appropriate products.
6. Once the filler mixture is dry, sand it with a fine-grit sandpaper.
7. Once the filler is smooth, again, clean the area with water.
8. Rinse the area and let it dry before priming.

Preparing Moulded Areas

1. Use fine-grit sandpaper or a sanding sponge to sand small gaps.
2. Then remove hard-to-reach dust using a hand vacuum with a brush attachment.
3. Use a putty knife and wood filler to rebuild chipped corners and fill in dents.
4. Apply spackling paste on scratches and small cracks.
5. Finish the repair the same way as repairing wall surfaces.
6. When all the holes are patched, prime the repaired surfaces.

Priming

A coat of primer is recommended for almost all painting projects, whether it's new drywall, old wood, bare metal, previously painted brick, or any other surface.

1. Applying primer is done pretty much the same way as paint.
2. Don't wait too long after priming to apply the finishing coat of paint.
3. Check the instructions on the primer can to determine how quickly you should start painting once the primer has completely dried.
4. Now you're ready to apply your first coat of paint.