If you want to update the look wallboard without a complete home renovation, consider adding a coat of paint. These walls commonly have slick surface that may feature a floral pattern, and they are commonly installed in older homes and older mobile homes.
Painting wallboard can be tricky because of the slick surface, but you should be able to accomplish it with the right techniques. Paint wallboard by using this guide.
Prepare to Paint the Wallboard
To paint wallboard, you need:
- work gloves
- dust mask
- drop cloths or plastic
- painter's tape
- shop vacuum
- sponge sand
- 80-grit sandpaper
- four-inch ,six-inch, and nine-inch drywall knife
- sheet rock mud compound
- spackling compound paint brushes and roller
- paint tray
- bonded acrylic primer
- interior epoxy paint
Move as much furniture a possible from the area, and remove wall hangings, but don't detach the nails holding the wall. If find protruding nails, hammer them back in place.
Cover outlets, window trim and wall trim with painter's tape. Lay drop cloths or plastic over non-removable items and the floor.
Fill Holes and Seams
Fill all holes and dings in the wall with spackling compound and a drywall knife. Remove battens, if desired, and fill seams where the battens go.
Spread a one fourth -inch thick layer of mud compound in the seam with the six-inch knife. Lay tape over the compound using the four-inch knife, and press it, so a little compound oozes. Spread on another thin layer with the six-inch knife, let it dry, and repeat using the nine-inch knife, feathering the border.
Sand, Prime, and Paint
.Keep the area ventilated by raising a window or opening a door. Wrap sandpaper around a wood block, and sand the entire wall. Don't use a power sander on wallboard. Vacuum sand dust.
Mix several drops of dish soap in a bucket of warm water, and scrub the surface with a sponge. Rinse with a clean sponge and cool water, then let dry.
Pour some primer in the paint tray, and spread it on the wall using a paint roller, and paint small areas with the angled brush. Thinner coats work better than thick coats, but don't make them too thin.
Let the first coat, dry and add a second coat, which should be sufficient. Check periodically for peeling primer as it dries, and apply it again if needed.
Roll or brush on the paint working over small sections, and avoid leaving white areas. Let the paint dry, occasionally checking for peeling, then paint a second coat.
As someone who has always been interested in construction work, I naturally navigated towards general contractors when I wanted to make my home better. I wanted to lighten up the rooms, make the living spaces more interesting, and focus on the different areas of the home to make the place fun. It was really interesting to see how well things started to come together, and I knew that I owed it all to my contractor. This blog is all about creating an unbelievable environment for yourself and the people you love. Check out this blog for great tips on your next construction project.