How to Paint New Sheetrock: Right the First Time

It’s not hard to learn how to paint new sheetrock, but it can be hard to prepare the wall for painting in a way that all sheetrock flaws don’t stand out like sore thumbs. That’s why it’s recommended you let a professional remodeller or licensed contractor handle the job. It’s amazing the flaws people find in their sheetrock after it has been painted for the first time.
There are certain steps that must be taken in order to paint new sheetrock. You can’t just slap on some paint and call it good. New sheetrock must be sanded, primed and then painted. If you don’t make sure the sheetrock is flat, smooth and primed properly, the wall will not look good even after it’s painted.

How to Paint New Sheetrock

If you’ve ever walked down a hallway and noticed a wall with rounded spots, sheetrock tape lines and sheetrock mud lumps, it’s clear you’re looking at a wall that was not properly prepared for painting. All taped areas must be sanded until smooth. Before applying primer paint, the first step is to do any additional sanding needed. In addition, the nail and screw holes must be filled and sanded until flat also.

Another potential problem which must be addressed before any paint is applied to new sheetrock is getting rid of sheetrock dust. After hanging sheetrock and then sanding sheetrock mud, a lot of dust is raised. This dust will cling to the walls and all of it is not necessarily obvious to the naked eye. When it becomes obvious is when you try to paint and the dust gets trapped in the brush and paint.

The best way to get rid of sheetrock dust is to use special painter cloths which collect dust when the walls are wiped. Some people use a damp grout sponge to fix mud flaws and eliminate dust. If this method is used it’s really important that the wall not get too damp, because water can cause the sheetrock paper to buckle.

After the wall is nice and smooth, a coat of latex primer paint can be applied to the wall first. Latex paint will smooth the nap of the sheetrock paper which makes the top paint coats look shiny and new. But before you begin painting, the ceiling and baseboards or floor must be taped. A cutting brush is handy for painting along the taped lines of the wall, while the remainder of the paint can be rolled on. Professional painters will use a paint sprayer for the main part of the wall. Two coats of paint in addition to the primer coat is recommended.

Using a professional contractor is the best idea, because there are so many ways that painting new sheetrock can go wrong. When a wall is not prepared properly, and then painted, you’ll notice the flaws every time you pass by the spots.