Difficulty: 2/5

Time: Variable depending on the quality of the surface to be painted

You've already made space in the room you want to paint, moved the furniture away and protected it, placed a tarp on the floor and put on comfortable clothes as we told you about in our previous article . Before you immediately pull out your best brushes and rollers , have you wondered if your walls are ready too? We'll help you diagnose the condition of your surfaces and thus adopt the right actions to follow in order to put all the chances on your side to obtain an impeccable result!

To assess the quality of your support and thus know what you will have to do before being able to paint it, you may find yourself faced with 3 possible scenarios :

-   the support is new

-   the support is painted or covered and in good condition

-   the support is painted or covered and degraded

 

New walls

If you are in the first situation: you are in luck! Your walls to be painted are new , smooth, without cracks or impacts, you just have to give them a quick wipe with a cloth or brush to remove the dust and you can immediately start your work by applying an undercoat and then the paint of your choice.

 

Walls covered or already painted in good condition

On the other hand, if your room is already painted or your walls are covered with carpet, paneling or wallpaper, it is necessary to carry out some additional manipulations. In the case of coverings other than paint (wallpaper, carpet etc.), you must first strip your walls by carefully removing the different layers as well as any potential traces of associated glue . Once your walls are smooth, you can follow the same steps described below to dust and then clean your support.

The temptation to repaint directly over the old paint is great, but it still requires a minimum of preparation. For the new paint to adhere well, you must ensure that the wall is clean and free of dust, grease or other residue. You can then wipe it with a cloth or brush to remove the bulk of the dirt and then wash your wall , that is, clean it with a mild detergent and then rinse it with clean water. Once the wall is completely dry, it is strongly recommended to sand it to ensure better adhesion of the paint. This step is quite tedious but can prevent your paint from flaking. Sanding generates dust , so it will be necessary to clean your wall again.

 

You can then start your painting work with a primer before applying the paint of your choice!

 

Please note: it is often necessary to sand before painting over a wall that has already been painted.

 

Walls covered or already painted in poor condition

In the case of damaged walls , before considering even a single coat of paint, they will of course have to be repaired!

 

Fill and plaster the walls

You can start by dusting your walls before filling any holes or cracks with filler. If the wall imperfections are minimal or the cracks are very fine , you can also apply a smoothing compound which will help you achieve better results and a beautiful finish.

 

Sand the support

Once the plaster is completely dry, you will need to sand the walls to make them even and to help your future paint adhere . You can sand manually using sandpaper or use an electric sander. Make sure you have protected your floor with a tarpaulin and also protect yourself by wearing a mask as we discussed in the article dedicated to preparing your room because the sanding step will create a lot of dust , especially if you are sanding plaster.

Depending on the condition of your wall and your needs, you'll need to adjust the grit of the sandpaper to suit your needs, whether you want to sand the surface or go deeper. It would be a shame to further damage your wall by using the wrong tools!

 

Clean the walls

Once your walls are smooth and free of rough areas, dust them thoroughly to remove dust and residue from coatings and sanding. Finally, clean your surface by washing it, then rinsing it with clean water, then let it dry.

 

Delimit the surfaces to be painted

You'll soon be able to get down to business! Just before you get out your brushes and paint pots , grab some masking tape . This will allow you to protect the areas that aren't to be painted (window sills, door sills, baseboards at the bottom of walls, socket outlines, etc.). You'll then be able to paint in peace without worrying about going over the lines, and all you'll have to do is remove the tape at the end of your work to enjoy your magnificent finishes!

 

Apply an undercoat

We can't stress this enough, but applying a primer is an essential step to ensure your paint adheres properly. So take the time to apply a quality primer like the one offered by Algo, which is made from 100% natural seaweed in Brittany! Follow the indicated drying time, and you'll finally be able to paint your room the color of your choice.

You've got it: it's important to take good care of the surface you want to paint before actually starting to paint. It's not the most enjoyable part of the job, but this basic preparation is truly essential for achieving a quality finish. And the satisfaction of a well-painted room is well worth a little time spent spreading plaster and sanding walls!

 

Now that your surfaces are ready, discover the steps that await you in our article which gives you all the keys to successfully repainting your room in 10 steps !