Most paint failures start before the first coat goes on. Prep is the larger part of a good paint job, and it is in every quote we write: patching, sanding, caulking and priming.
Do I need to prime before painting?
You need to prime bare or problem surfaces, not every wall. Primer is for new drywall, patches, bare wood, stains, glossy surfaces and big color changes.
A clean, sound wall that already has flat or eggshell paint on it can take two finish coats with no primer. Paint sold as paint and primer in one is a thicker finish paint. It does not replace a real primer on bare wood or stains.
Do I need primer if the old paint is in good shape, and can you paint over old paint?
Yes, you can paint straight over old paint that is clean, dull and firmly stuck, and no primer is needed. Wash off grease and dust first. If the old paint is glossy, sand it lightly or use a bonding primer so the new coat has something to grip.
If the old paint is peeling, new paint will not hold it on. Loose paint has to come off first.
Do I need to sand the walls before painting?
Not the whole wall, in most rooms. Sand where it matters: over patches, over drips and rough spots from the last paint job, and over any glossy surface.
Trim, doors and cabinets do need sanding, because they are usually finished in a harder, shinier paint. A quick pass with a pole sander also knocks down dust nibs on walls and makes the finish look cleaner.
Do painters fix nail holes, cracks and dents first?
Yes. Filling nail holes, small cracks and dents is a normal part of painting, and it is included in our quotes. Larger repairs, such as holes, failed tape seams or water-damaged drywall, are listed on the quote as their own line.
Hairline cracks at door corners and ceiling lines are common in Santa Rosa houses. The clay soil under much of the city moves with the seasons and the area has small earthquakes. We fill them, but a crack over a moving joint can come back.
How do I paint over a water stain so it does not bleed through?
Seal the water stain with a stain-blocking primer first, then paint. Ordinary wall paint will not hold a water stain back. The brown ring comes through again within days.
Fix the leak before anything else and let the area dry fully. After a wet winter, ceiling stains under roof valleys and around skylights are common. If the drywall is soft or sagging, it needs replacing, not priming.
Can you paint over smoke stains or pet smells?
Yes, with the right primer. Smoke residue and pet odors need a sealing primer that locks in both the stain and the smell. Standard latex paint lets both come back through.
Walls are washed first to remove soot and nicotine film. Wildfire smoke is a local version of the same problem. Light smoke film washes off. Heavy smoke damage inside a house is a job for a restoration company before the painters arrive.
Mold on the bathroom ceiling: can it just be painted over?
No. Mold painted over grows back through the new paint. The surface growth has to be killed and cleaned off, the ceiling dried, a stain-blocking primer applied and then a paint made for bathrooms.
The cause also needs attention, which is nearly always steam with nowhere to go. Run the fan during and after showers. If the mold covers a large area or the drywall is soft, that is beyond a paint job. HomeGuide lists professional mold removal for a small area at $500 to $1,500, as a national figure.
Paint is peeling to bare wood on my old house. What prep does it need?
Paint peeling to bare wood needs all loose paint scraped off, the edges sanded smooth, the bare wood primed with an exterior wood primer, joints caulked and then two finish coats.
Bare wood that has been open to the sun for a season turns gray and weak at the surface, and it must be sanded back to fresh wood or the primer will not hold. On a house built before 1978, assume the old layers may contain lead and have the scraping done with lead-safe methods.
Why is my paint peeling?
Paint is peeling because it has lost its grip, and moisture is the cause most of the time. Water gets behind the film through open joints, failed caulk or bare end grain and pushes the paint off from behind.
- Outside: rain getting in at joints, sprinklers hitting the wall, or wood that was damp when painted.
- Inside: steam in bathrooms and kitchens, or a leak.
- Any surface: paint applied over dirt, chalk, gloss or old loose paint.
- Old houses: many thick layers that have become brittle and let go together.
Why is paint bubbling or peeling in my kitchen or bathroom?
Paint bubbles or blisters in kitchens and bathrooms because of moisture and grease. Steam condenses on cool walls and ceilings and works behind the paint. Near the stove, cooking oil on the wall stops new paint from bonding.
The fix is to scrape and sand the failed area, wash off any grease, prime and repaint with a moisture-resistant finish, and then improve the ventilation.
How do I know if old paint is oil or latex, and can latex go over oil?
Rub the paint with a rag wet with rubbing alcohol. If color comes off on the rag, it is latex. If nothing comes off, it is oil-based.
Latex can go over oil-based paint only after the oil paint is cleaned, sanded dull and coated with a bonding primer. Latex put straight onto glossy oil paint peels off in sheets. Old trim and doors in Santa Rosa houses built before the 1980s are very often oil.
Do bare drywall patches need primer?
Yes. Drywall patches need primer before paint. Joint compound is more porous than the painted wall around it, so unprimed patches soak up the finish and show as dull spots, called flashing.
Spot priming each patch and then painting the whole wall, corner to corner, gives an even finish.
Not sure what your walls need? Call or text (707) 205-3959 and we will look at them as part of a free estimate.