Interior Painting
How to Prep Interior Walls for Paint That Actually Lasts
Most interior paint jobs that fail did not fail because of the paint. They failed because of what happened, or did not happen, in the hours before the first coat went on. Prep is unglamorous and it is the entire job.
Start with clean walls. Kitchens and bathrooms collect a thin film of cooking grease and soap residue that paint will not bond to. A wipe-down with a mild degreaser and a rinse makes the difference between a coat that holds and one that peels in a year. In older Coventry homes we also check for chalking on previously painted plaster, which needs a bonding primer rather than another topcoat.
Patch, Then Sand, Then Patch Again
Nail holes and hairline cracks take two passes. The first fill shrinks slightly as it dries, so a single application leaves a dimple that catches light once the sheen goes on. Sand each patch flush, prime the spot so it does not flash, and only then move to cutting in.
- Degrease and rinse every wall that sits near a stove, sink or shower
- Fill, dry, sand, refill, sand again on anything deeper than a pinhole
- Spot-prime patches and stains so the final sheen stays even
- Mask floors and fixtures fully, drop cloths move, taped plastic does not
Two Coats, Always
A single coat can look acceptable on the day and then reveal roller lap marks under morning light a week later. Two coats give you depth of colour and a uniform sheen, which is what people actually mean when they say a room looks professionally painted.
If that sounds like more work than a weekend allows, that is the honest answer for most rooms. It is also exactly the part of the job we do not shorten.
