Tips for Painting Drywall

Your new walls are up, and now it is time to paint them. But wait! New drywall requires a bit different strategy than painting other rooms in your home. Unless you take the time to do it right, you will be left with streaks and seams showing through.  So, how should you proceed? 

Make Prepping a Priority

Putting up new drywall is a dusty project. You’ll want to make sure that all of that dust is swept away before cracking open a can of paint. Otherwise, your new wall is going to have loads of specks and lint stuck to it. Before starting any paint job in your new home, be sure to check for:

• Imperfections: newly installed drywall commonly sports a few imperfections. Take a close look and sand down those rough edges.
• Wipe the walls with a soft cloth (just be sure to let the dust settle before mopping the adjacent floors)
• Sweep up any lingering dust
• Wipe the walls one last time with a damp (not wet) cloth
• Apply a primer specifically designed for new drywall

Choose Your Application Method

Most people grab either a sprayer or a roller when it is time to paint a wall.  Sprayers work well for new drywall but, be warned: they can be messy!  Offering a quick way to cover large areas rather quickly, spraying can be a real time saver – if you know what you are doing. But, in most cases, DIYers usually find a roller to be easier to handle. Stay away from synthetic ones though, since they often leave behind trails of lint on the wall.

Picking the Right Paint and Primer

One look down the paint aisle of your local home improvement store and you may feel like running away – there are so many different kinds of paints to choose from! Don’t worry, picking the right one really isn’t that difficult (if you keep these tips in mind):

• Use only primers designed for drywall.
• Use a separate primer for new drywall. Yes, those paint and primer combinations are good for walls that have already been treated, but new drywall needs a bit more TLC.
• Satin paint often works best in most homes. Flat latex may offer easy touch-ups but can get dirty quickly; while high sheen is easy to clean but can be hard to tough up. Satin, however, offers the best of both worlds: durability and ease in touch-ups when needed.

One Coat is Never Enough when Painting Drywall

Many paint manufacturers advertise the ability to apply paint in a single coat – don’t follow this recommendation when painting new drywall. All-too-often the seams along the edges of each board will start to bleed through over time. Adding that second coat solves this problem.

Ask for Help

If you follow these four simple tips, you should be able to tackle that painting job on your own. But, if you feel like you still need help with painting drywall then call Deplok Painting @ 508-969-1300

Deplok Painting provides professional painting services in the Massachusetts MetroWest Region. Thanks to Deplok Painting, painting your house interior has never been easier.

Now you can request a free online quote and have your paint job handled by a qualified and experienced painter.