Most paint failures begin before the first coat goes on. The surface was dirty, shiny, damp or bare. This page covers the prep questions we hear most around Stamford, where old plaster, humid summers and salt air near the Sound all play a part.
Do I need to prime before painting?
Prime when the surface is bare, stained, glossy or oil-based, or when you are making a big color change. You can usually skip primer over clean, sound, low-sheen paint in a similar color.
- Bare wood, bare drywall and fresh joint compound always get primer.
- Water, smoke, marker and tannin stains get a stain-blocking primer.
- Gloss or oil-based paint gets sanded, then a bonding primer.
- Metal, masonry and stucco get the primer made for that material.
Do I need primer if the old paint is in good shape, and can you paint over old paint?
Yes, you can paint over old paint, and when it is clean, dull and well stuck, primer is usually not needed. Wash it, scuff off any shine, patch and spot prime the patches, then apply the finish coats.
Paint that is flaking, chalky or glossy is different. A new coat holds only as well as the layer beneath it.
Do I need to sand the walls before painting?
A light sanding helps nearly every wall, and on glossy paint and on patches it is required. Sanding knocks down old drips, roller lint and ridges, and it gives the new coat something to grip.
It is a quick pass with a pole sander, not a strip down to bare wall. In a pre-1978 house, hold off on dry sanding old paint until a test has ruled lead in or out.
Do painters fix nail holes, cracks and dents first?
Yes, painters fill nail holes, small cracks and dents before painting, and that work is in our quotes. Nail pops, where a fastener pushes a bump through the paint, are reset and filled.
Plaster in older Stamford houses tends to crack again if the cracks are only filled, so wider ones are taped or meshed first. Drywall in newer homes shows nail pops and corner cracks as the framing moves through humid summers and dry, heated winters.
How do I paint over a water stain so it does not bleed through?
Seal the water stain with a stain-blocking primer first, or it will bleed back through the paint. Regular wall paint will not hold it back, however many coats go on. Oil-based and shellac-based stain blockers are the dependable choice.
Fix the leak before painting. Ceiling stains here often come from ice dams in a hard winter, flashing that let go in a nor'easter, or a bathroom above. Painting first only means painting again.
Can you paint over smoke stains or pet smells?
Yes, as long as the right primer goes on first. Smoke and nicotine are washed off, then sealed with a primer that blocks both stains and odor. Paint on its own lets the yellow and the smell return.
Pet odors in walls and trim are sealed the same way. If the smell is in the subfloor or carpet pad, painting the walls will not fix it.
There is mold on the bathroom ceiling. Can it just be painted over?
No. The mold must be killed and cleaned off, and the moisture behind it dealt with. Paint over live mold peels, and the mold grows back through.
Light surface mildew on a bathroom ceiling can be cleaned, primed with a stain blocker and painted with a paint made for baths. The lasting fix is an exhaust fan vented outdoors, run during and after showers, which matters in humid Connecticut summers. Larger patches, or mold that keeps coming back, need a mold specialist. HomeGuide lists remediation of 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?
Scrape off every loose edge, sand the edges smooth, prime the bare wood, caulk the joints and then paint. Wood left bare in the weather turns grey, and grey wood has to be sanded back to fresh fiber or the primer will not hold.
On a house built before 1978, treat the old paint as possible lead paint, and follow lead-safe practices for scraping and sanding. Our lead paint guide explains the rules.
Why is my paint peeling?
When paint peels, the cause is nearly always moisture or poor prep. Water works in behind the film, or the paint went on over dirt, gloss, chalk or damp wood and never bonded.
Outside, check under windows, at the lowest courses of siding, behind shrubs and on walls next to bathrooms and kitchens. Near the Sound, salt film left on the siding also weakens the bond, which is why houses there are washed well before painting. Inside, peeling near the ceiling often points to a roof leak or ice dam.
Why is paint bubbling or peeling in my kitchen or bathroom?
Paint bubbles in kitchens and bathrooms because of moisture, or because grease and soap film were left under it. Steam pushes in behind a weak film and lifts it.
Scrape and sand the failed patch, clean it, prime it and repaint with a paint suited to damp rooms. Then keep the room drier with a fan that works.
How do I know if old paint is oil or latex, and can latex go over oil?
Wet a cotton rag with rubbing alcohol and rub the paint. Paint that softens and smears color onto the rag is latex. Paint that stays put and leaves the rag clean is oil.
Latex can go over oil, but only with prep. Scuff the oil finish until it is dull, put on a bonding primer, and then apply the latex. Latex put straight onto glossy oil can peel off in sheets. Trim, doors and windows in older homes around Stamford are very often oil.
Do bare drywall patches need primer?
Yes. Bare drywall and joint compound need primer before paint. Without it the patch soaks up the finish and shows as a dull, flat area, which painters call flashing.
Spot prime each patch, let it dry, and then paint the wall from corner to corner.
How much prep is included in your price?
Standard prep is built into our quotes: filling, sanding, caulking and spot priming as each surface needs, with floors and furniture covered. Bigger repairs, such as new drywall, plaster repair or replacing rotten wood, are listed and priced on their own lines.
For a real price on your own job, book a free estimate and get a written quote. Call or text (203) 349-9745.