Walls and Painting

Repairing, patching, and painting interior walls.

Drywall Repair

Small Holes (Nail/Screw)

Materials: Spackle, putty knife, sandpaper

Steps:

1. Apply spackle with finger or putty knife
2. Let dry (shrinks slightly)
3. Apply second coat
4. Sand smooth when dry
5. Prime and paint

Medium Holes (Up to 4")

Materials: Mesh patch, spackle/joint compound, putty knife

Steps:

1. Clean hole edges
2. Apply self-adhesive mesh patch
3. Apply thin coat of compound over patch
4. Let dry, apply second coat
5. Sand smooth
6. Prime and paint

Large Holes

Materials: Drywall piece, furring strips or backer board, screws, tape, compound

Steps:

1. Cut hole into square/rectangle
2. Cut drywall patch slightly smaller
3. Attach backer boards behind opening
4. Screw patch to backers
5. Tape seams with drywall tape
6. Apply joint compound (multiple thin coats)
7. Sand smooth
8. Prime and paint

Cracks

For small cracks:

1. Widen crack slightly with utility knife
2. Fill with spackle or compound
3. Sand when dry
4. Prime and paint

For recurring cracks:

1. Apply mesh tape over crack
2. Cover with compound
3. Sand, prime, paint

Painting Preparation

Surface Prep

Priming

When to prime:

• New drywall
• Patches and repairs
• Stain coverage
• Color change (especially dark to light)
• Different surface (covering wallpaper texture)

Primer types:

Choosing Paint

Sheens:

Quality matters: Better paint covers better and lasts longer.

Painting Technique

Tools

Order of Operations

1. Prep surfaces
2. Prime if needed
3. Cut in edges with brush
4. Roll walls
5. Second coat (after proper dry time)
6. Remove tape while paint is slightly tacky
7. Touch up

Cutting In

Cutting in = painting edges where roller can't reach

• Load brush, tap off excess
• Start away from edge, push toward it
• Steady, smooth strokes
• Overlap roller area slightly

Rolling

• Load roller evenly
• Start with "W" pattern
• Fill in without lifting
• Light pressure
• Overlap previous strokes
• Keep wet edge (don't let edges dry)

Common Painting Problems

Wallpaper Removal

Methods

Steps for Difficult Wallpaper

1. Score with scoring tool
2. Apply wallpaper remover or fabric softener solution
3. Let soak 15-20 minutes
4. Scrape with wide putty knife
5. Repeat as needed
6. Wash walls
7. Let dry completely
8. Prime before painting

Trim Work

Painting Trim

1. Clean and lightly sand
2. Fill holes/cracks with wood filler
3. Prime if bare wood
4. Paint with quality brush
5. Light coats, multiple if needed

Caulking

Where to caulk:

• Where trim meets wall
• Around windows/doors
• Corner gaps

How:

1. Cut caulk tube at 45° angle
2. Apply steady bead
3. Smooth with wet finger
4. Wipe excess immediately
5. Paint over latex caulk when dry

Texture Matching

Common Textures

Matching Patches

• Texture sprays available for orange peel/knockdown
• Test on cardboard first
• Feather edges to blend
• Prime before painting

Key Takeaways

1. Prep is everything - 80% of paint job is preparation
2. Prime when needed - Don't skip it
3. Quality paint saves money - Better coverage, lasts longer
4. Two coats minimum - For walls
5. Work wet to wet - Avoid lap marks
6. Right sheen for the room - Higher traffic = higher sheen
7. Let it dry - Patience between coats