Welcome to my blog. My name is Deborah. About 15 years ago, I bought an old home. We worked with several contractors to rehabilitate it, but ultimately, the foundation simply wasn't stable enough, and we had to tear it down. After that, we worked with a construction crew to build a home from the ground up. The experience was exciting and challenging, and I learned a lot through that process. I want to share construction and contracting facts and information with others so I decided to start this blog. I hope that you like the results, and I thank you for reading. Enjoy!
When renovating an old home, a fresh coat of paint on the walls can drastically improve the look and feel of a room. If you are planning to repaint over old painted walls, check out these tips to ensure a great result with minimal hassle.
Prepare the surface
By thoroughly preparing your walls prior to applying the first layer of new paint, you will safeguard against any old flaws, peeling paint and imperfections showing up after all your hard work. Your preparation work will depend on the condition of the walls and whether the old paint is oil or water-based—oil-based paints cannot be directly painted over with a water-based paint unless there has been careful preparation. As such, using an oil-based primer is highly recommended prior to applying the first layer of paint. Before priming your walls it is important to fill in any holes, cracks or old imperfections to create a perfectly smooth surface for painting on. While meticulously sanding your walls is not the most enjoyable activity, it is crucial to remove peeling paint and create a rough surface for the new paint to grip to. After sanding, make sure you vacuum and scrub the area thoroughly before applying your primer to avoid any old paint particles and dust sticking to the wet primer or paint.
Protect fittings and floors
One of the most important steps for painting your walls is to protect all surfaces in and around the painted area from stray brushstrokes and splatter. While it's a fiddly process, it is highly recommended that you invest the time to apply a good quality painter's masking tape to all light switches, window sills, skirting boards and other adjoining surfaces. This is particularly important if your old painted walls have similarly old fittings, as repairing or replacing them can be a costly process. To make sure your tape really adheres to the surfaces, run a putty knife along the tape. Also lay canvas drop cloths down on your floor prior to priming—while canvas drop cloths are an expensive investment, they will last many years and provide the greatest protection for your floors and furniture, as the canvas is durable, absorbent and heavy.
Use the right tools
A great way to prepare your walls prior to painting is to use a degreaser liquid to clean the walls. Cleaning with a degreaser is an easy way to avoid sanding on smooth surfaces as it will increase paint adhesion without all the mess and hassle of sanding. If you do choose to skip the sanding step use a small paint roller for applying your primer and paint, and be careful to apply the paint slowly to avoid peeling of the old paint beneath. Using a tinted primer is also recommended on boldly-coloured old painted walls to ensure the best finish with your fresh paint.
To get your old painted walls professionally painted without the hassle and fuss of a big DIY project, contact your local trusted interior painting contractor today for a competitive quote.
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