If you wish to repaint an area of your house, it’s a necessity that you first remove any paint that’s chipping or peeling away. The good thing is this is a simple job that anyone can do, unless it’s a possibility that you’re dealing with lead paint. In this case, it’s a bad idea to scrape any paint away if you are pregnant, as is involving children in this activity.
If you are dealing with modern, lead-free paint, read on to learn the best ways for getting rid of damaged paint.
Prep
You can make cleanup afterward much faster if you lay a tarp down in front of the wall you’re scraping. Here are the items that you’ll need for this project:
- Metal or plastic scraper or 100-grit sandpaper
- Wire brush
- Damp washcloth
- Flat knife
- Spackling or wood filler
- Primer
- 220-grit sandpaper
Scrape Away
Using your scraper or 100-grit sandpaper, remove the peeling paint from the walls, being gentle so as to avoid digging into the drywall. After all, this will only lead to more work for you. If you have a wire brush on hand, you can use it to easily brush away the paint after you have scraped it.
After scraping away the damaged paint, wipe down the areas with a wet towel to remove any dust or other debris that remains.
Make it Super Smooth
If you want to really level out the areas you scraped, you have the option of smoothing wood filler or spackling over the area evenly with a flat knife. Once it completely dries, gently smooth out any rough bits with 220-grit sandpaper.
Time for Painting
Before you use primer on your walls, wipe the areas once again with a damp cloth. After this dries, use primer on the areas. Using primer is important to do as if you avoid doing so, you might end up with the paint not matching the surrounding parts of the wall.
Next, paint your walls, letting them fully dry and then repainting if more coats are necessary.
Prevent Future Damage
There is almost always a reason for peeling or otherwise damaged paint. One of the biggest culprits of this problem is having too much moisture getting into a room. If a space is not kept sufficiently dry, humidity can get behind paint over time, which can cause it to detach from the wall.
If you suspect that this is the issue, then one simple move could do wonders. This move is placing a dehumidifier in the afflicted room. This should take a good deal of moisture out of the air, hopefully helping to alleviate the problem of peeling paint.
If the room where the peeling paint is occurring happens to be your bathroom, it would be wise to make certain that you do not have any leaking pipes that are causing water to seep into the surrounding drywall. If you do find that this is the case, make sure to get the issue corrected immediately.
Marc Poulos began his real estate and financial services career, but he soon realized that his true passion was beautifying homes. He started working with various small craftsman shops before serving an apprenticeship with the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Chicago. His commitment to excellence won him Top Apprentice from Washburne trade school in Chicago – the country’s premier school of its kind.
