Reasons To Prepare a Wall Before Painting It

When you’re taking on a large project, it always pays to spend a little more time to do something right. That way, you won’t have to waste time, effort, and resources to redo it later.

The same is true when it comes to painting your walls. But a good paint job starts before you even pick up a brush. First, you have to make sure your walls are ready. These are the top reasons to prepare a wall before painting it.

Improve the Durability of Your Paint Job

Paints stick to almost any surface, but they don’t adhere to every surface equally. For example, paint has a more difficult time adhering to surfaces that are:

• Unfinished or raw
• Covered in grime or dust
• Wet
• Completely smooth
• Covered in old, damaged paint

Even if an expert painted over these types of surfaces, the paint would likely still bubble or crack over time. Taking the time to clean, sand, and prime these surfaces beforehand will create the best possible scenario for paint adhesion.

Ensure Color Quality

In general, if your walls are already covered in paint that’s still in good condition, you should be able to paint over them without worrying about adhesion. However, depending on the color of the previous paint job, you may still have problems with the final product.

If the walls are currently a darker color than the new paint, that may impact the appearance of the new paint job. For instance, if you’re using a pale yellow paint on dark blue walls, the blue may still be visible, leaving you with a green-tinted wall. Fortunately, a coat or two of primer will circumnavigate this issue.

Help Prevent Mold Infestation

In high-moisture spaces like bathrooms and kitchens, mold growth is almost inevitable. In these rooms, you have even more reason to prepare the wall before painting. If you were to simply paint over the mold, you would be trapping it in a dark, moisture-prone space, exacerbating the problem and potentially leading to an infestation.

If you want to paint these areas, inspect them for mold, then carefully scrub these areas down before priming. In more severe cases, you may need to contact a mold remediation specialist.

Preparation is the key to a beautiful paint job. If you’re ready to start your project, ECOS Paints has the zero-VOC* primer you need to do the job right the first time.

*Zero VOC - Conforms to CDPH 01350 (VOC emissions test taken at 11, 12, & 14 days for classroom & office use).