It’s that time of year when you want to give your home some TLC, both inside and out. One of the best ways to renovate and freshen up your home is with paint. But before you get your brushes dirty, here are a few steps for prepping your walls to ensure they will be ready to go.
Free space: Start by getting the room as free from clutter as possible. This means clearing furniture and decor from the room so you are free to move about with ease as you begin painting. Chances are you will need to give the walls a good dusting to clear them of dirt and debris that can make a new paint job look less than perfect. This means getting out the vacuum and a dust rag to ensure walls, baseboards and moldings are debris-free. If you are painting a kitchen or bathroom, take the time to wash the walls, as these rooms tend to accumulate unwanted build-up.
Perfect the imperfect: When washing the walls, take note of any cracks or flaking paint. You will want to tend to these issues before adding your new hue to the walls. Take some time to sand these imperfections away to create a smooth painting surface.
Primed and ready: Don’t forget to use primer. A quality primer can help hide any pesky problems that may arise. New drywall will take to water-based primer extremely well, while battered walls will do best with an oil-based primer to conceal stains or other damage. Oil-based primers work well on paneling too.
Now you’re ready to get those brushes dirty!