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Most people would agree that the best part of a paint home improvement project is witnessing how the colors you carefully selected slowly transform the room. But, in order to achieve the most refined renewal and Pinterest-worthy outcome, prepping your walls is essential. Throughout this quick guide, we’re going to teach you how to prep your walls to take your project from DIY to painting like a pro — and attain the best possible results.

First, a few wall prep tips to keep in mind:

  • Remove all the furniture from the room or move it away from the walls you’re going to work on.
  • Put on your best painter’s outfit, including old/worn-out clothes, painter’s overalls, and goggles for protection against unpredictable paint splatters.    Use a scraper to get rid of old paint by scraping flaked or cracked paint on the walls.
  • Patch up holes or cracks in your drywall or plaster with spackling.
  • Use sandpaper to smooth imperfections – sanding with the proper grit sandpaper will make all the difference in your final results.
  • Remove switch plates. It only takes a minute and it’ll be easier than having to tape around it.
  • Keep your materials handy, such as the paint-can opener, stir sticks, covers, painter’s tape, sander, extension poles, and of course, your Benjamin Moore paintbrushes and selected paint.

Sure, prepping your walls accounts for 70% of the work, and nobody looks forward to sanding their walls, but it ensures a fantastic-looking paint job. We recommend you take your time to patiently clean, sand, and prime for the best-finished look — and enjoy the process! Let’s dive into the steps:

Step #1: Get the Best Supplies.

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Purchasing “cheaper” supplies is a false economy. Sure, a $3 plastic brush may seem tempting, but as you use it you’ll quickly realize how the paint looks veined and smeared — and let’s not forget cheap paintbrush bristles falling out and ending up on your walls.

On the other hand, the paint you select should not only promise quality but deliver it. With Benjamin Moore paint from our online store, you’ll enjoy smooth painting with superior coverage. Not only that, but it also contains properties that ensure its resilience and durability of your latex paint, so you won’t have to worry about cleaning a grubby fingerprint in the future or ending up with a blind spot on the wall.

To prep your walls for painting, get high-quality supplies for the best results, always! Our online store has you covered.

Step #2: Clean and Prep Walls. 

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We suggest you wash your walls prior to painting, especially if you’re planning to work on a bathroom or your kitchen. The walls here are highly transited and most likely have all sorts of grime stuck to them, including grease, mold, soap scum, and other substances (even if you can’t see them). This muck will prevent your paint from properly adhering.

Buy a degreaser to get the job done or if you like things done the old-fashioned way, combine lukewarm water with mild soap and rub using a soft sponge. Then, rinse with a damp cellulose sponge, and done!

Step #3 Clean your Roller Covers.

You may think this has nothing to do with prepping your walls for painting — but hear us out. Whether you’re using Benjamin Moore’s high coverage roller covers or one of the many other brands we sell in our online store, we recommend washing them before use. This gets rid of the fuzz that comes off as soon as you dip the cover into the paint.

Wash the covers with water and a bit of mild soap. Run your hands through them to get rid of any fibers. Drain them as best as you can. After this, they’re ready for use.

Step #4: Taping.

Once your walls are clean, ensure all areas are completely dry before you apply the tape. Use longer pieces for more coverage and avoid using shorter ones as these may allow for the paint to bleed through gaps.

Next, because we all know how annoying it is to discover paint bleeds after removing the tape, the trick is to use a putty knife. All you have to do is press the tape down with the putty knife for a good seal. Pay particular attention to your baseboards, the proper taping technique will leave you with the best finished look.

Side note: Make sure you always use painter’s tape for wall prepping. Masking tape leaves a sticky residue you won’t enjoy cleaning up. If you are still torn between any other varieties of tape versus painter’s tape, always go for the latter. Painter’s tape can last up to two weeks and still peel off to perfection, it won’t buckle and keeps paint bleeds at bay.

Step #5: Cover with Drop Cloths.

You don’t want to start prepping your walls for painting without protecting your furniture as well. You can cover your furniture with anything you have on hand. However, if you’re planning for a few more paint jobs, canvas drop cloths are your best bet. They offer durability, absorb drips and you can reuse them for future painting projects over and over.

If you’re looking to spend less, paper and plastic drop cloths are great, however, they tend to slide when you walk over them — in which case, you can use painter’s tape to secure it to the floor.

Step #6 Time to Prime.

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If you’re looking for that crisp, professional-quality paint job, you can’t go wrong with priming your walls. Not only is it perfect to cover imperfections and old paint, but it will also help you uncover the best sheen and color you expect and it offers a nice protective layer for your topcoat. Failing to prime might cost you another coat of paint or two later on, so strongly consider it. No matter what any other latex paint may claim, you’re going to need more than one coat.

Use a Benjamin Moore primer and prep sundries to start your project with the best foot forward, plus a 2-inch or 2 ½ inches angled brush — which are available in our online store. Start by painting neat streaks along the trims and inside corners of the room. The rest you can apply with a roller cover.

Going from DIY to Professional Means Prep, Prep, Prep!

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Sure, prepping walls for painting feels like a lot of work — but we promise, wall prepping will make or break your paint project. If you put in the time, you will uncover the best possible finish and look. And remember, even if it’s a DIY project, it’s always best to grab the best supplies, a decent paintbrush, use painter’s tape, and arm yourself with Benjamin Moore’s paints and primers from Janovic. Good luck, painters!

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