How to Prepare Surfaces for Painting: Step-by-Step

New paint is one of the most gratifying DIY projects you can do as you see your vision come to life with every paint stroke or pass with a roller brush. But it can be disheartening if the end result falls short of your expectations or disaster strikes in the middle of your painting project. 

As Ben Franklin once said, “By failing to prepare, you’re preparing to fail.” This step-by-step preparation guide will help ensure your success. 

Is it necessary to prep surfaces before painting?

Simply put, yes. While it takes time, preparation is key to a fantastic result for your painting project, so be patient and do what’s necessary to get your surface paint ready. Whether you’re a beginner painting your first interior wall or a seasoned pro, follow these steps, and you’ll be sure to enjoy the awesome results you’re hoping to achieve!

What if I skip the paint preparation process?

Without proper preparation, you may see bubbles, flakes, peeling, blistering, not to mention the things you may unwittingly paint over. Getting the surfaces properly prepared ensures your paint can be applied more effectively, adhere to the surface, last a long time, and actually look like the paint color you purchased.

And preparation is more than just the surfaces to be painted. You don’t want to smudge your beautiful Whisper Gray all over a darker accent wall or white ceiling or get paint specs on your floors or trim.

What are the best ways to properly prepare surfaces for painting?

A lot depends on the current quality and type of the surface. If the surface is relatively clean, blemish-free free and a lighter color than the new paint you’re using, your preparation time and effort could be minimal. For surfaces that have seen some wear and tear, have lots of holes from nails and screws, or worse, you’ll want to follow more of these steps.

The type of surface you’re painting makes a difference too. Bare wood may require patching paste and more sandpaper. Priming bare wood is essential, and you won’t find a better wood primer than our Interior Wood Primer!. New plaster walls can be more absorbent than other surface types, so more primer may be needed. For metal surfaces be mindful of rust. Holes and dents can typically be repaired with an epoxy-based composite. Larger holes may require professional attention, especially for an exterior metal surface.

And never paint over wallpaper. Wallpaper should be steamed off, sanded, and often requires professional attention before painting.

Follow these steps and your painting project will go smoothly and yield spectacular results.

Step 1: Plan ahead
Preparation begins with planning. Most painting projects require time to complete the steps below. Patching holes, masking surfaces, laying drop cloth, ventilation, and lighting are important aspects to surface preparation. All of this takes time and often more than one day, for instance, if wall repairs need to be made.

Step 2: Inspect the surface
The first step is a visual and hands-on inspection of the surface you’re painting. Make sure the area is well-lit. See if there are any visual blemishes, holes, marks, or anything that might need to be repaired. Run your hands over the surface to feel if there are areas that might need more attention than others. In rare situations, you may discover dampness in ceiling corners or wall seams, which may be the result of a leak along the exterior of your home, often around chimneys or in a room under a bathroom.

If there was a leak at some point that stained a ceiling and/or wall, simply painting it won’t solve the problem. The leak should be repaired prior to painting or the same staining will likely occur. The same goes for windows that may have let moisture damage and/or stain the sills and trim that you want to paint. Fix the leak, then proceed with the painting project.

Any leak or ongoing damp area could result in mold. Do not paint over mold! It may continue to grow/spread. Mold must be removed completely with bleach or a mold removal agent. If you have a significant mold issue, contact a mold remediation company. Mold can impact the value of your home and be harmful to inhabitants of the building.

Step 3: Clean the surface
It is critical to a successful paint project that the surface is clean and free of any dust, dirt, or detritus. And you will have to repeat the cleaning process after all other steps have been taken to prepare the surface.  Usually, soap and water can take care of residue like grease stains and grime from daily use. More aggressive cleaning products may be needed for other blemishes.

Step 4: Patch holes
Nail holes are most common, but other holes might exist from cables, bookshelves that have been removed, accidents, and more. Use the proper spackling compound and techniques. As a reminder, this takes time to dry, sometimes overnight and may require more than one application, so plan accordingly.  

Step 5: Sandpaper to the rescue
Sandpaper is handy to “clean” more stubborn stains. Simply sand them away. Have a variety of sandpaper available in different grits. Any patches you make will require sanding. Also, imperfections like old, dried paint drippings or glue from wallpaper are easy fixes with sandpaper. Don’t sand too harshly or with too coarse of a grit or risk sanding through the drywall paper to the gypsum plaster.

Step 6: Scrape away blemishes
Some blemishes may need to be scraped off as well as old paint that’s peeling. There are several varieties of scrapers for different applications. Depending on what’s on your wall, you may need more than one type of scraper. Be as gentle as you can to avoid damaging the drywall or surface underneath.

Step 7: Prime where you’re painting
Priming a surface is generally a good idea, even with paint that advertises itself as “no primer needed.” Your new paint will apply more smoothly, and any color inconsistencies are minimized. While it takes more time and requires more painting tools, it’s worth it. Our multi-surface primer works wonders!

Step 8: Mask it if you don’t want it painted
Take the time to mask connecting surfaces you don’t want to paint. High-quality masking tape is worth the extra expense. Take your time, press it firmly into place, and you’ll have the crisp, straight lines and seams you hope for. Cover other surfaces, furniture, and windows with plastic.

Step 9: Clean the surface again
After all your preparation, take a damp cloth and wipe down the walls again before painting. You’ll be happy you did.

One more thing
Take a final step and stir your paint thoroughly before applying it to your newly prepared walls.   

Now it’s time to get painting! Need some more help? Check out these tips from pros and these painting tips and tricks.