Prepainting Repairs And Prep Work
Walls and trim work are subject to a variety of assaults that result in damage, especially in a house with children.
Besides the everyday wear and tear that leads to scratches and gouges, walls also develop cracks as the house settles. Before beginning any paint job, study the surfaces carefully, and make the necessary repairs.
Minor Repairs
Filling Nail holes & Cracks. Fill nail-holes and hairline cracks with drywall compound (often called drywall mud). Spackling compound is available in small containers, while drywall compound is generally available in quarts or five-gallon buckets. If the walls require minimal preparation (such as filling nail holes), choose a quick-drying spackling compound that has very little shrinkage and can be painted in as little as 10 to 15 minutes. Use a putty knife to apply either material. Sand smooth using 100 grit followed by 150 grit sandpaper when dry.
Damaged Drywall Paper. The paper face of drywall can easily tear when you are prepping a room for painting, especially if you are stripping wallpaper, scraping loose paint, or even removing some sort of wall decoration. Here's how to repair the damage: 1. Remove the damaged material. Use a putty knife to cut the torn area away from the surface of the wall. 2. Fill the depression. Spread a thin layer of drywall joint compound over the damaged area. It is best to overlap the repair area with the compound. For best results use a wide drywall knife rather than a putty knife. 3. Feather the edge of the repair. To make sure the spackling or drywall patch is not readily apparent, it must be "feathered." This term refers to the technique of tapering and sanding the edges of a patch into a very gradual slope. You will not feel a ridge at the edge of a patch that is properly feathered. Once the repair is smooth and blends with the surrounding wall, prime the patch before painting.
To repair bigger holes I recommend using our California Patch Method.[szb link=http://www.ehowtodrywall.com/drywall-hole-repair-california]Click Here[/szb]Corners are weak link in drywall surfaces. In many cases, whoever installed the drywall originally simply butted two pieces of drywall together at the corner, taped the joint, and then finished with drywall compound. It does not take much to damage this area, and it is not unusual to find crumbly corners. Even if the contractor did install a corner bead, it can still be damaged. Use a hawk saw if you have too to remove the damaged area the goal is to keep from peeling back more bead and making the repair even bigger.
Learn how to fix popped beads.
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Stripping Woodwork
Use a cheap acrylic-bristle brush (foam brushes melt). Brushing in one direction, apply as much remover on the work as it will hold. Wait about 5 to 10 minutes, and remove the paint sludge with a putty knife. If the paint sticks to the work piece, wait a few minutes and try again. Usually, some paint remains after on application. repeat the stripping process until all the paint is removed. If some stubborn spots remain, pick them off with a molding scraper, or sand them off. Some woods, particularly oak, retain paint in tiny depressions within the grain, resisting all efforts of removal.
Wipe down the work piece with clean water, then let in dry. At this point, it is ready for sanding and finishing. Paint can also be stripped with heat guns or heat plates.
Repairing Woodwork. Patch minor nicks and dents in woodwork and trim using wood filler, putty compound or drywall compound. If yours is a fairly modern house, and replacement wood trim is readily available, it may be easier to replace heavily damaged trim than to patch it. For older houses, especially those with distinctive trim, it is always worth the effort to restore damaged parts. However, oftentimes these types of restoration should be handled by a professional.
1. Fill the Hole. Patch nicks and dents with wood filler, spreading the filler with a putty knife or, if necessary, your finger. Fingers are often the best smoothing tool available. Overfill nicks and dents slightly. 2. Caulk the Gaps. Caulk is a painter's best friend. Filling the small gaps between trim work and the wall or where the corners of miter joints have separated is one way of ensuring a professional-quality job. Again, your finger is often the best smoothing tool. (Water keeps the caulk from sticking to your finger.) Use a damp cloth to clean up any stray caulk. Do not try to sand caulk. It will just ball up on sandpaper. To get a sharp edge on a bead of caulk, trim it with a utility knife. Let caulk dry thoroughly before priming or painting the trim work. 3. Sand Smooth. When the filler cures, use 100-grit sandpaper to sand the repair flush with the wood surface.
