A brief guide to interior paint preparation

When it comes to interior painting, good preparation is very important to achieve a perfect and long-lasting finish. Because nothing can beat a good paint, particularly if you have done it on your own. If you use poor quality materials and tools or wrong techniques, it can result in huge costs, more time and a lot of fuss. Therefore, before you start the job, it is best to learn everything about interior painting preparation.

Here we have given a brief guide (prepared by interior drywall solutions experts) to the ins and outs of interior paint preparation that will give you the best chance at success:

Instructions

Before starting the painting job make sure to have the following materials and tools lined up:

• The correct paint roller sleeve;
• right tray liners and tray liners;
• right roller frame;
• 38 mm, synthetic paint edger;
• 60 mm, synthetic paint brush;
• Good quality masking tape;
• drop cloths;
• sand paper;
• filling knife and filler;
• Mixing paddle flat with flat spiral.

Remove the mould from your walls

Regardless of the season, mould is not a good look. So, make sure to take it off your walls and ceilings by using the Selleys Rapid Mould Killer. Start by scrubbing the walls with a bleach solution (use 1 part household bleach with 3 parts water). Remember to keep your skin, eyes and clothing well protected while applying the solution to the mould with a thick scouring pad. Once you have done this, you may leave the solution on the wall to dry for 15 minutes and then clean it with water. Use the Dulux Precision stain and moulder blocker to prime the surface. Better ventilation will help you in preventing the mould growth in the future.

Stripping the wallpaper

There are some people use a remover solution like Selleys Wallpaper Peel or Stripper, when removing the wallpaper. Some people also choose to use a steaming machine. If your wall has viny coverings that are dry, it can be simply stripped off by hand. They may simply leave a backing paper residue, which can be softened by using a sponge on a little warm. After this, you will need to peel it off with a broad-bladed scraper.

If you are struggling with some uncooperative wallpaper, you can scratch it by using a very coarse sand paper so that the remover solution can easily get through the surface.

Already painted or varnished surfaces

The condition of previous coating helps in determining the preparation required for previously painted surfaces. If the surface of your walls is already in a good condition and undamaged, you will need only a little preparation to paint it. Use Selleys Original Sugar Soap to clean, low sheen or matt surfaces that are already in a good condition. It will help to remove any grease, dirt, or grime that may influence the adhesion.

Selleys Original Sugar Soap is also used to clean, glossy surfaces, which are then sanded to a rough finish by using a medium grit (P80) sandpaper. There is also no need to sand back to bare timber. It is simply enough to dull the surface so the next coat of paint can easily stick to it.

Water stains

If there are any water stains on the wall surface, make sure to know it’s source and repair it before you cover it. When there is any leakage, ensure to do an adhesion test to check the integrity of the already painted surface. Before you apply the topcoat, make sure to check if the paint is still sound and perfect. Also, clean  it up by using dulux 1 Step Oil Based Primer Sealer & Undercoat.

Filling and patching

There are cracks, holes and scratches on every wall,  so before you put a fresh coat of paint, just make sure to fill them in. For the interior of the wood, you can use a lot of fillers such as Selleys Plastic Wood and Selleys No More Cracks Interior Wood Filler.

Just ensure clean up the area that is to be filled. Use a spatula or putty knife to apply the filler. For areas such as joins between the walls and architraves, Selleys No More Gaps Multipurpose Gap Filler is best suggested.   

When it comes to filling holes in hard plaster or plasterboard, it is very simple. Just scrape away any loose plaster or paint and fill the hole with a Selleys Spakfilla Rapid. If the holes are cracked and unstable from the edges applying a self-adhesive patch will make the job simple. While a patch will need to be inserted in a larger plasterboard hole. For this, you will first need to cut away the damaged section and then use a contact adhesive to put in plasterboard or wood backing strips, prior to fixing the patch onto the strips.

Handy TIP: Before the filler gets dry, a fast wipe by using a damp sponge will smooth out the small ridges and save your time when sanding it later on.

Painting on bare plasterboard

Before you begin painting your new plasterboard, it is important to get the base correct. Also, remove all the dust from the surface by cleaning it with a damp cloth. When it gets dry, prime the surface with Dulux 1 Step Acrylic Primer Sealer Undercoat to get a sealed and stable base for the top coat.

New timber

Use a medium grade sandpaper for woodwork in the direction of the grain. After this, prime it with one coat of Dulux 1 Step Acrylic Primer Sealer Undercoat. This helps in avoiding tannin staining and offers excellent adhesion for the paint as well.

Bare set plaster

After removing all the dust from the surface by cleaning it with a damp cloth, seal the plaster with Dulux Sealer Binder, when it is dry.

Hiding dark or bright colours

To avoid any fuss while covering dark or bright colours use undercoats that can provide better concealing power instead of using any additional coats of the final finish. You may apply one coat of Dulux 1 Step Primer Sealer Undercoat to hide the dark colours.

Use a tinted undercoat, if you are painting with some light colors. Dulux Wash&Wear and Plus Super Hide are great for excellent hiding of dark or bright colours because of the concentrated levels of titanium pigment. This makes it perfect for covering darker walls by using as less coats as possible.

A final check

Whatever preparation you do for the interior painting of your place, it is important to clean the surface and free from any dust, oils or grease before painting it. You can brush or vacuum the surface with Selleys Original Sugar Soap and leave it to dry before painting.

Masking tape for preparation

Before you start the paint job, using the masking tape will help you to get a cleaner finish quickly. In order to ensure that the edges are straight, push the edges of the tape down strongly. Before the paint dries quickly, make sure to remove the masking tape at a 45° angle. If the paint is very dry it can be ripped off by the masking tape, when it is removed. If the paint dries prior to it’s removal, use a sharp blade and score the edge of the tape before removal. This is to make sure that it doesn’t strip the paint away from the wall.

Clean walls before painting

Use Selleys Original Sugar Soap to thoroughly wash the walls and remove all the dirt and grease. This will provide a clean surface and ensure the best possible performance from your finish coats

Clear out the room

In order to clean out the room before painting, it is best to start with a blank canvas. Remove down the mirrors, curtains and pictures. Also, move the lightweight furniture out of the place that is to be painted and cover the larger items with the drop clothes and plastic sheets. Tape down the plastic sheets around the pendant light fittings. When it comes to the fixtures and fittings, always make sure to remove as many as you can before you begin to paint.

These DIY tips are for the people who really have time to do this stuff,otherwise, good to hire the professional interior painters in Auckland who can get the job done fast and hasslefree.