Painting walls with a fresh coat of paint is the easiest way to give your space a new look and feel. It can make a dull room look more vibrant, and reflect your personality as well.
However, before you get to the painting aspect of the project, you need to do some preparation first to achieve the best possible results. Some of the most important prepping steps that you might want to do are sanding and priming.
If this is your first DIY home painting project, you’re probably wondering if you need to sand primer before painting your walls. So in this article, we will answer that question and share other key prepping methods that can help you achieve a stunning, finished look.
Sanding Primer Before Painting
The quick answer to the question, “Do I need to sand primer before painting my wall?” is YES. Primer should be sanded before you apply the paint.
A primer is used to help cover up the existing color of your wall. It is applied to create a blank, neutral surface before you coat your wall with your chosen paint color.
If your wall is black or has a bright color, applying primer will help you cover it and allow you to display your new color at its best. You also need to apply a primer if you’re working with a new wall or you’ve patched holes on it.
Basically, priming is extremely important to create an even, solid base that takes whatever paint color you apply. And if you want an extremely smooth look, sanding the primer under the layers of paint will do the trick.
Also, you might want to sand between paint coats too.
Other Prepping Steps Before Painting
A poorly executed paint job is one with uneven shades of color, drips, and uneven lines. However, all of these can be avoided if you perform thorough preparation before painting.
We’ve already talked about priming earlier, so here, we’ll share other important prepping steps.
Dusting
One of the most basic prepping steps before adding anything to the surface you’re about to paint is to give it a good dusting. You may not notice it, but your walls can be more dusty than you may realize.
So keep your walls clean and get rid of all the dirt, dust, and grime by using a damp cloth or a duster. Doing this will help you avoid the dirt from getting mixed into the paint and sticking to your walls.
Scrape and Patch Your Walls
Another important aspect of prep work is sanding and scraping. Sanding scuffs up the surface of your walls will help your paint stick better. On the other hand, scraping will eliminate the existing bumps or drips.
It is important not to rush this step. Take your time to patch all holes, caulk gaps, and get rid of dirt. If necessary, you might need to use soap and water to achieve a pristine surface before you apply paint.
Spackling
Open crevices on your walls must be sealed up before you begin the actual painting process. Remember: paint can’t fill in these spaces because it is too thin.
So if you want to conceal them, you have to fill in these holes, dents, or cracks through spackling. Spackle is a type of paste that can be used to seal and smooth over these imperfections on your walls.
If there are any last-minute holes that you need to seal, don’t hesitate to do this step as most spackles available in the market today can dry in just 10 minutes. This means, you can still remain on schedule even if you take the time to fill in these crevices.
After spackling, it is highly recommended to sand your wall to ensure that the surface is completely flat and smooth. Some spackles change color from pink to white as it dries, giving you the signal that you can proceed to sanding your wall.
The Most Trusted Painting Company in New York
No matter what condition your walls are in, it’s important to do some prep work before you actually start painting. Obviously, walls with dents and holes will take longer to prepare compared to walls in good condition and just need a fresh coat of paint.
If you don’t want to go through all the trouble of prepping and painting your walls, the best thing that you can do is simply hire a professional painting company to do it for you. This will not only save you time and effort, but will also ensure that the task will be done right.
Not sure which company to hire? You might want to check out Soho Painters – the most reliable painting contractor in New York. Whether you need professional painters for your residential or commercial painting project, we’ve got you covered!
Get in touch with us today so we can discuss your project! You can also request a free quote!
