How to Remove Paint Before Starting a New Paint Job

While finding the perfect shortcut to remove old paint would be ideal, this is one area of home improvement that requires blood, sweat, and tears to get the job done. In order to effectively prepare a wall for a new paint job, you must first remove loose paint and prep the surface of the walls by scraping and sanding.
How to Remove Paint
To begin, you may want to enlist several friends to help you scrape and remove paint from the walls of your home before slapping on a new coat. For the best results, use the following tips:
1. Wear protective gear, including eyewear and disposable respirators. This will prevent you from inhaling paint particles or getting dust in your eyes.
2. Cover floors with old sheets or disposable tarps to catch dust and shavings to make cleanup easier.
3. Use a paint scraper to carefully remove peeling paint from the wall in an even motion. This will help to scrape the majority of paint from a wall.
4. After scraping paint off of a wall, the wall must be sanded to create a smooth surface for a new paint job.
5. Wash walls lightly to remove any particles of dust after sanding. Avoid saturating the walls; instead, use warm water and a damp sponge to remove visible dust.
Prepare for a New Paint Job
After following the steps listed above, experts recommend cleaning any dirty areas with a heavy-duty cleaner or deglosser before painting. This will help to remove dirt or oil from a wall that will cause new paint to chip or peel in the future.
When cleaning, wipe on a cleaning product in a circular motion using an abrasive pad. Start at the bottom of the wall and work your way up. After a surface has been cleaned completely, visible holes should be filled and sanded smooth once again before using new paint.
Once you have carefully removed paint and cleaned the walls, it’s time to apply a primer and prepare for the new paint job. A primer is essential since it will be used to support a firm bond between the freshly sanded wall surface and the new topcoat of paint.
Taking the time to prepare a wall with primer before painting will prevent stains from bleeding through, and it will also provide preemptive coverage for the paint topcoat. Even more importantly, the material used for adhesion to extend the life of the coat of paint and reduce the blistering in the final product.
Once you’ve done the hard work to prepare a wall to paint, it’s time to begin! If you don’t feel confident removing old paint from a wall and repainting a room yourself, it may be worthwhile to contact a professional painting company for a consultation. At the very least, you can remove paint from the walls before hiring a professional to save money on overall labor.

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