Painting can be an easy and inexpensive way to give your room a new look. Though painting is quite easy to do yourself, it is important to properly prepare your walls before you start to paint. The right preparation is essential to any good paint job. So be sure you follow these steps before you pick up that paint brush.

Remove Wall Decorations

Start preparing your walls for painting by removing any wall decorations or other hanging wall fixtures. You cannot properly paint a wall while these items are in place. So go ahead and take them down, being careful to keep any hardware you need with each item.

Remove Electric Covers

Next, take a screw driver and remove any electric covers for light switches and power sources. Many people choose not to remove these covers and try to just paint around them. This is a mistake because paint gets everywhere. In the end, taking the time to remove these covers will save you time in the long run. So just go ahead and do it.

Remove Chipped Paint or Wallpaper

If your walls have any chipping paint or wallpaper, take the time to remove it now. If you do not take care of things now, your paint job will be doomed to failure. Chipping paint will only get worse with time if you do not deal with the issue and wallpaper is not meant to be painted over. So take the time to do the job properly and remove these issues now.

Fix Holes

Once any chipped paint or wallpaper has been removed, you should be able to see any holes or problem areas that you need to fix. Fill any small holes with spackle using a putty knife. Once it is dry, sand it down so the wall is smooth and even. However, if you are dealing with a large hole in the wall, you are going to need to cover the hole with a mesh repair patch that you can find at any home improvement store. Adhere the patch to the wall and then putty and sand as necessary. Fixing these problems now will keep you from having to bring out the leftover paint later. So go ahead and fix those holes.

Wipe Down

Next you want to wipe down your walls with a damp cloth to remove and dust or dirt. No one wants to believe that their walls are dirty, but the truth is that every wall in every home has some form of dirt on them. So why is it important to clean them first? It helps ensure that the paint will stick and the finish will last for years. Dirt is not permanently stuck to the wall.

So if you paint over it, it is like building a house on the sand, there will not be a good foundation and work you have done will mean nothing. So take out that cloth and start cleaning.

Tape

Now that your walls are clean you want to protect the areas that you do not want paint on. Get some painter’s tape and carefully tape along your ceiling, baseboards, and other molding. Many people skip this step to save time but as was stated before, this is a mistake. As long as you are human, you will get paint exactly where you do not want it. Not to mention that painter’s tape will give you a clean paint line once you are done. Taping is not an option if you want a professional look. Go ahead and do it.

Prime

Finally, you want to make sure to prime your walls. Primer is the glue that attaches your paint to the walls. Sure, you can get along without it, but your finish will not look as good as it could or last as long. Just be sure your walls are completely dry before you apply the primer. Between removing old wallpaper and giving your walls a good cleaning, your walls will probably need a good bit of time to dry. Don’t rush the drying process. Primer cannot stick properly to walls that are damp, so let the walls completely dry to avoid future headaches.

Though properly preparing your walls for paint may seem difficult, it is very important for a long-lasting finish. Take the time to do it right the first time and you will thank yourself later. Now get started so you can enjoy your beautiful paint job, knowing that it will last for years to come.

author, Catherine Woods.