Interiors

Are Your Walls Stained? You Can Repaint

painting-house-interiorWhether it’s water or nicotine stains, you may question whether your walls will ever be beautiful again. A simple coat of paint won’t always do the job. Instead, you’ll need to work on preparing the walls so that the stains don’t bleed through. Each stain will need different treatment. The good news is with a bit of hard work, your walls can be beautiful again.

Water Stains

Water stains can be difficult to address because you must first address any mold that is present. Small areas of mold that are less than 3 x 3 feet can be treated with bleach. Larger areas, especially those that have dangerous molds, need to be cleaned by a professional. Once the mold has been addressed, you need to remove any paint that was loosened by the water damage before repainting. There are paints on the market that are an all in one paint and primer that are thick and will cover in one coat, but it is still recommended that you use a good primer that is made to cover stains as your first coat. You can then further prevent the stain from showing through by using an oil based paint.

Nicotine Stains

Nicotine is one of the worst stains because you have to address the entire room, not just one area on the wall. It’s also extremely difficult to remove, meaning that you need to use a strong cleaner, such as ammonia. Once the walls are clean, you need to allow the area to dry for at least one or two days before painting. Again, you’ll want to use a primer that is meant for stains as your first coat. This will help prevent the stain from peeking through.

Wood Stained Walls

If you live in a home that has wooden walls and want to paint, you will first need to address the stain that was used on the walls. This can be done by lightly sanding the area with a fine grit sandpaper and then cleaning the walls to remove the dust. After that, the walls will easily take the paint. You may, however, want to apply a coat of primer to prevent the need for multiple layers of paint, especially if the wood is dark.

Don’t sit there and stare at that water spot a moment longer. Do the work to prepare the surface and get to painting. Just remember to take the time to do the prep work or you’ll be wasting money when the stain bleeds through the new coat of paint.

This article was published on behalf of Matthew Hurley and his wife. They bought a home at a discounted price because the walls were stained with nicotine. They replaced the rugs, painted the walls, and added new door seals to protect and insulate each room. They’re old, dingy house is now a welcoming home.

If you have any questions, please ask below!