Preparing Walls and Woodwork Before Painting

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Preparing Walls and Woodwork Before Painting

Why preparation decides the finish, filling and sanding, priming and dust

Painting is the quick part, and almost every disappointing finish is a preparation problem rather than a paint problem.

Clean first

Wash walls and woodwork with sugar soap or a degreaser and rinse, since paint will not bond to a greasy or dusty surface. Kitchens and anywhere above a radiator need this most.

Treat mould with a proper fungicidal wash rather than painting over it, or it returns within months.

Filling and sanding

Fill in thin layers rather than one deep one, let it dry fully and sand flush. Deep filler shrinks and sinks, which shows through the paint as a shadow.

Sand woodwork to a key rather than to bare timber, and round off any sharp arris, which is where paint always wears first.

Caulk the gaps

Flexible decorator's caulk along the top of skirting, around architraves and at wall junctions is what makes a room look finished. Smooth it with a wet finger and let it cure before painting.

Do not caulk anything that needs to move independently.

Priming

Bare plaster needs a mist coat — emulsion thinned as the tin directs. Bare or knotty timber needs a stain-blocking primer, or tannins bleed through. Glossy surfaces need a suitable primer after a scuff sand.

Dust

Vacuum, then wipe with a damp cloth and let it dry. Sanding dust left on a surface ruins the finish, and old paint in pre-1980 properties may contain lead, so test before dry sanding.

Order of work

Ceiling first, then walls, then woodwork, so drips fall onto surfaces not yet finished. Cut in the edges before rolling, and keep a wet edge rather than stopping halfway along a wall.

Two thin coats beat one thick one, which runs and takes far longer to cure.

Brushes and rollers

A good synthetic brush for water-based paint and a medium pile roller for most walls. Clean tools immediately or wrap them tightly between coats.

Working safely

Ventilate while painting, wear a mask rated for the dust when sanding, and use a proper platform rather than a chair. Falls from height are the most common serious injury in home maintenance.

Never pour paint or washings down a drain — let leftovers dry out or take them to a household waste site.

How much paint

Measure the wall area and check the coverage stated on the tin, then add for a second coat. Buying one large tin of the same batch avoids the slight colour difference between batches.

Keep a labelled jar of each colour for touch-ups rather than the whole tin.

Masking

Low-tack tape, removed while the paint is still slightly soft.

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