Preparing patchy wall for repainting

Discussion in 'Painters' Talk' started by Shelvo, Jun 24, 2019.

  1. Shelvo

    Shelvo New Member

    Hi All,

    I have these walls that have patchy paint all over as in the photo.

    How do I best prepare the wall for painting:
    • Do I sand all the paint off so it's smooth?
    • Fill in gaps with and sand?
    • Or another option?
    I'd appreciate any advice?

    Thanks
     

    Attached Files:

  2. gas monkey

    gas monkey Well-Known Member

  3. Shelvo

    Shelvo New Member

    Do I need to sand it right back or just feather the edges? Sanding too much takes it back to the plaster.

    Thanks.
     
  4. Astramax

    Astramax Super Member

    Sand and fill or using a wallpaper stripper or hot air gun to remove the paint has worked for me on many occasions! ;)
     
  5. Shelvo

    Shelvo New Member

    So fill in the gaps where the paint has come off and then sand to smooth it out or sand right the way back to the plaster? I tried Hot air gun and it just turned it to glue.

    Is it worth skimming the walls completely with joint compound to get them completely smooth or is this unneccessary?
     
  6. DIYDave.

    DIYDave. Screwfix Select

    Looks like wall wasn’t mist coated before painting as paint is peeling off leaving clean plaster

    So paint is sitting on surface of plaster instead of the mist coat soaking in and giving good adhesion to further coats

    I would sand wall with P120, can sand by hand but use a sanding block or hand sander

    Can use electric sander but dust and possibility of damaging wall

    Also use a wide blade scraper to remove loose flaky patches

    Don’t need to go back to plaster but remove all loose material and noticeable paint edges

    As to filling, just depends on thickness of paint film and if edges of patches are noticeable when you run fingers over walls. Close eyes and give the wall a good rub over with your hands .... what can you feel ?

    If you can feel edges of patches, then these will show through new emulsion coats - paint doesn’t really hide anything, you can’t just lash it on thicker and hope for the best

    Matt paint and ‘dead flat’ will help to hide imperfections whilst anything with a sheen will show up these areas

    Buy a tapping knife, around £8 from SF, great for filling large areas quickly and getting a flat surface

    So fill where you feel needed after scraping, sanding, dusting down. Either Easi Fill 20 or Toupret Interior, both good fillers and sand down nicely as well

    Blend in and feather all filler patches , P120 to sand down, and again give to wall a good rub over with closed eyes - you shouldn’t feel any noticeable areas between wall/repairs/filler

    Dust down then mist coat to seal wall and even out porosity

    Other function of mist coat is it will highlight any less than perfect repair areas that you’ve missed

    Can be frustrating but better spotted now than after wall colour has been applied

    So attack any dodgy areas again, sand/fill/dust down, etc

    Then spot mist coat these areas

    Now ready for top coat ......

    Skimming complete wall ?

    Ok if you can do this and get a good finish but don’t want to end up making wall worse :eek:
     

Share This Page

  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
    Dismiss Notice