Next Door Painting - Painting in Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio

Quality Prep Work

What Prep Work is Necessary?

Interior painting prep work process.

1. Cleaning

Clean the walls if accumulated dirt is a problem. Any household detergent will work. Use TSP (Tri Sodium Phosphate) for grease or a heavy build-up of cigarette smoke.

2. Scraping

Using a scraper or a spackle blade, remove all loose paint and sand down the rough ridges where the paint has broken off.

3. Spackle

Apply spackle to cracks, holes and heavy paint ridges

4. Texture

If the existing wall has something other than a smooth texture, your patch should match that texture as closely as possible.

5. Caulking

Use interior caulk to seal joints around door jambs, window casings and baseboards. Wide and deep cracks may require more than one application. Use a damp rag to wipe off any excess caulk.

6. Sanding

Sand glossy surfaces or treat them with liquid sandpaper. This provides a roughened surface or “tooth” for good adhesion of a subsequent coat.