5 Prep Steps That Make or Break Your Interior Paint Job
Apr 2025
Painting is 80% prep. Skip these steps and you'll repaint in two years. Do them right and the finish lasts a decade.
Prep is the job
The finish coat only looks even when the surface under it is clean, smooth, and sealed. These five steps are the usual order.
1. Protect the room
Move what you can away from the walls. Cover floors and the furniture that stays, and tape edges you are not painting, such as trim, hardware, and glass.
2. Clean
Dust, grease, and cobwebs keep paint from sticking. Wash the walls and let them dry before any filler or primer goes on.
3. Patch
Fill nail holes and cracks. Let the filler dry all the way through. Painting over soft filler leaves a dent you will see later.
4. Sand and prime
Sand patches smooth so they disappear under the finish. Prime bare drywall, stains, and any wall that is changing from a dark color to a light one.
5. Cut in, then roll
Paint the edges with a brush before you roll the open wall. That keeps the corners even with the field. Most color changes need more than one finish coat.