Drywall or a gypsum panel is a great material for using in the house interior or ceiling. These are budget-friendly, safe, and easy to repair.
It requires less effort and money to install drywall than other interior materials but looks great when perfectly patched, primed, and painted. Therefore, a lot of people around the world are now using drywall as their go-to interior material.
Although a lot of people use drywall in their homes, very few people know how to paint new drywall perfectly. To make your tasks organized and smooth, we will guide you through the process to paint a newly installed drywall in 4 easy steps.
1. Surface Preparation for Priming
Not every painting projects need prior planning and preparation, but when it comes to applying paint on new drywall, it is a must to have the surface patched and primed. Let me explain why-
When the drywall is first installed, there remains holes and cracks everywhere on the surface due to nails and joints. For patching those uneven surfaces, you have to apply joint compound. Although these come at an affordable rate, they are great at patching uneven and cracked drywall surfaces.
After the patching work is complete, you now need to prepare for the cleaning work. Cleaning the surface is mandatory before applying the first coat of the primer on the drywall.
You can get the help of a long-handled soft mop to remove any dust attached to the surface. Cleaning the surface will ensure a smooth surface.
2. Application of Primer
After you are done with patching and cleaning, it is time to prepare primer for application. Primer is necessary for reducing the wastage of paint.
A newly installed drywall surface is a combination of patched nail holes, taped surface, and smooth drywall. If you apply paint without priming the drywall, you’ll see the color is not setting well on the surface, so you’ll require around four coats of paint to have your desired color. On top of that, the surface will not be smooth because of the uneven surface underneath the painting.
Mud, taping, and smooth drywall surface has different types of absorption and you’ll see inconsistent color on your surface for that. So, don’t forget to apply primer on the drywall, especially when installed for the first time.
You’ll need these materials for priming-
- Primer
- Painting tray
- Paintbrush
- Long-handled paint roller
With these easy-to-find materials, you can apply the primer on the surface easily. Follow these quick steps-
- Open the primer pack and pour some primer on the painting tray.
- Soak the paintbrush in the primer and precisely apply on the corners and edges carefully. Corners and edges need special care and attention so that you do not mess up with the colors.
- After the corners and edges are properly primed, take the paint roller, soak it and apply it on the plain surface.
Now that you have a perfectly primed drywall surface, you need to be patient for allowing the newly applied primer to completely dry out. After the first coat of primer is dried out, you should check whether the surface is perfectly covered up or not. If you see inconsistent color, you will have to put another coat on top of the older one.
3. Sanding the Drywall
After the primer is fully dried out, allow the surface a day. Allowing an extra day will reduce the risk of sanding the wet surface and harming it.
When you are sure that there is no wet spot on the drywall, you should sand off the primer and make the surface smooth with a fine-grit drywall sander. Apart from an electric sander, you’ll need to collect some different grit sandpaper for sanding the edges and hard-to-reach corners.
We have a step by step guide on sanding drywall. Check that out for detailed sanding tips.
4. Applying Paint
Now the final part, painting. As you have already patched, taped, primed, and sanded the drywall, you should already see a smooth and even surface. But for decorating the home and making the interior design long-lasting, you need to apply one or two coats of paint on it. Here is how to do that-
The first step towards a painted wall is to collect the necessary equipment like paint, paintbrush, painting tray, and painting roller in hand.
After you have your necessary tools, open the paint pack, pour on the tray, and start painting with the edges and corners where two-room or two colors of the paint will connect.
After corners and edges, you can use the roller to paint the plain surface. When using the roller, be careful about changing pressures. You should maintain even pressure on the surface so that you do not end up applying more in one place and less in others.
After the first coat of paint is completely applied, you should wait and see how it looks. If it is smooth enough and you get your desired color, you can skip the next coat. But it is recommended to have at least two coats of paint on the new drywall for durability.
Final Words
Painting drywall is not much different than the other surfaces like concrete except patching and sanding techniques. When you plan to paint a newly installed drywall, it is always recommended to consult a professional home designer to get an idea about the materials you need and how should you proceed with your specific needs.