Repair & Prep the Walls
The first step in painting a room is to determine whether any major drywall or plaster repairs are required. When planning your time, count on a day to gather supplies and prep the walls and then another day for painting and putting the room back together. You may need more time if preparing the drywall or plaster involves more than patching small dings with a fast-drying spackling compound. For larger wall repairs, allow 2-3 days drying time for the spackling process.
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| Step 3. Apply Spackle | |  | | Apply 2-3 coats of compound over these repairs and any other dings or small holes. Lay on the compound in one direction with the blade nearly flat. Then tilt it to a 45-degree angle and draw it across the patch perpendicular to the first pass. Smooth the finished patch using a sanding block and fine paper. Wipe off sanding dust with a damp sponge before you prime. You can also use a damp sponge for final smoothing.
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| Step 4. Scrape Loose Plaster | |  | | To prepare plaster walls, use a scraper to remove any loose or disintegrating surface plaster. Apply 2-3 coats of joint compound and primer as described above. For deep holes, use a chemical setting, dry powder joint compound, which dries much faster, and apply it in two stages. Clean tools immediately. |
| Step 5. Repair Plaster Cracks | |  | | Enlarge small cracks with a pointed bottle opener or similar tool. The joint compound you apply in the next step will fill the gap and be more likely to hold. Vacuum to remove any loose material or dust. |
| Step 6. Tape Cracks and Holes | |  | | To finish cracks or larger holes, embed paper tape in the first coat of compound. Level and remove excess compound with a taping knife held at a 45-degree angle. Be careful not to squeeze out all of the compound from under the tape. Complete additional coats, sanding, cleaning, and priming as described above. |
| | |  Tip: Joint Compound | | | | Chemical setting, dry powder joint compound used with paper (not fiberglass) tape provides the most durable crack repair.
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| Step 7. Remove Outlet Covers | |  | | After turning off the power, remove the outlet covers; lower or remove any ceiling- or wall-mounted light fixtures; and cap any exposed wires with wire connectors and electrical tape. Removing most items is easier than masking or cutting in; and your results will be better. After you unscrew them, put the screws back in their holes. Now you don’t have to be concerned about losing the screws. Mask any other obstacles that you cannot remove easily. |
| | | Tip: Disconnect Power | | | | Before disconnecting any light fixture wires, use an electrical tester to double-check that power is off.
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| Step 9. Eliminate Stains | |  | | Remove stains to prevent them from bleeding through your topcoat of paint. Get rid of crayon, ink and other stains with an appropriate spot remover, cleaner or detergent. Apply a couple coats of a fast-drying stain-blocking primer (most contain shellac) over any remaining stain to make sure it doesn't bleed through. Also prime any patched areas using the same paint. |
| Step 10. Caulk Gaps | |  | | When you have completed all other preparation work and primed, apply a very thin bead of acrylic latex caulk to conceal any small gaps between the trim and the wall or ceiling surfaces. If you have narrow AND wide cracks, cut a small opening in the tip to caulk the small gaps first. Then cut off more to fill the larger gaps. Smooth the bead with a wet finger (or ice cube) and wipe your finger clean after every pass. |
| Step 11. Dull Glossy Walls | | | Use sandpaper on any glossy surfaces. This dulls them so that the paint will stick. |
| Step 12. Clean Walls | | | Vacuum the walls and wallboards to get all the dust off of them. If you don’t want to use the vacuum, use a feather duster. Before you paint, you need the walls free from dust that might stick to the paint. If you are working in the kitchen or bathroom, it is important to wash the walls with TSP. This cleans off any grease or mildew. |
| Step 13. Protect Floor & Furniture | | | Move whatever furniture you can out of the room. The rest of the furniture should be piled in the middle of the room. Keep in mind that you are going to have to maneuver a ladder around the floor so leave enough space in between. Put plastic or canvas drop cloths over the furniture groups and on the floor. |
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