Tips for Painting Drywall

Your new walls are up and you can’t wait to paint them. But WAIT! New drywall requires a very different painting strategy than painting existing walls in your home. If you don’t take the time to paint your new walls right, you will be left with streaks and seams showing through. This blog will cover how to paint new drywall and provide you with painting tips from Flowers Painting pros.

Prep the Walls

Installation of new drywall is a dusty process. You will want to make sure that all of the dust from installation is swept up before starting your paint project. If you skip this critical step, your new walls will have specks of lint and dust stuck to it. Before beginning any project in your home, be sure to go through this check list:

1. Look for imperfections and sand down rough edges.
2. Wipe the walls with a soft cloth.
3. After the dust has settled, sweep up any lingering dust from adjacent floors.
4. Wipe down the walls one last time with a damp (NOT WET) cloth.
5. Apply a coat of primer specifically designed for new drywall.

Select Your Application Method

You can choose between a sprayer and a roller to apply the primer. Sprayers work well for new drywall, but they can be messy. However, a sprayer is a quick way to cover large areas and can be a real time saver. Most people opt for a roller, which is easier to handle than a sprayer. Steer clear of synthetic rollers, since they often leave behind trails of lint on the wall.

Choosing the Right Primer and Paint for Painting Drywall

Selecting paint can be confusing. There are so many to choose from at your local home improvement store. Don’t worry. Selecting the right primer and paint isn’t that difficult if you keep a few simple tips in mind:

• Make sure you select a primer that is designed specifically for drywall.
• Use a separate primer for new drywall. There are paint and primer combinations on the market that are very good products; however, these are for walls that have already been treated, not new drywall.
• Consider using a satin paint, which often works best in most homes. Flat paint may offer easy touchups but can get dirty quickly. On the other hand, high sheen or gloss is easy to clean but can be more difficult to touch up. Satin paint offers the best of both worlds and is durable and easy to touch up when needed.

New Walls Will Require Two Coats

Many paints advertise the ability to paint in a single coat. Don’t follow this manufacturer’s recommendation when painting new drywall. If you paint a single coat, the seams along the edges of each board will start to bleed through over time. Adding a second coat solves this problem.

Ask for Help from the Experts

Following these simple new drywall painting tips should make painting on your own a bit easier. However, if you feel like a new wall painting project is too much to bite off, call in the experts at Flowers Painting for help. Flowers Painting is a full-service interior painting company that serves the Charlotte metro area, including Mooresville, Concord, Lake Norman area and more. Call today to schedule your free estimate (704) 445-7750.