Smoothing a Textured Wall, Continued

Continuing from yesterday’s post … The smoothing compound has dried and I’m ready to sand it smooth. This photo gives an idea of what needs to be sanded down. Some areas, such as around electrical outlets, are more irregular and have more raised areas to be sanded down.

Before I get to the sanding, a 3″ stiff putty knife comes in handy for scraping down high areas.

For decades, contractors wrapped sandpaper around a wooden block and used that to sand walls. Then, about 25 years ago, some genius invented these sanding sponges. They’re soft, flexible, easy-to-hold blocks covered with sanding fibers of various grits. They have angles that aid getting into various corners. I find that the edges can be a bit “pointy” and can gouge into the surface, so I often use a scissors to cut off the corners, as you see in all but the one on the far left.

Held against the actual wall.

Don’t forget a dust mask, to prevent inhaling the fine particles. And, yes, this is an N-95 … The same mask that protects us from ingesting the COVID 19 virus also protects the lungs of us home improvement contractors.

Manufacturers have done a good job of creating joint compound whose dust settles to the floor, rather than going air-borne and sifting all around the room. Still, it’s best to take measures to keep dust out of the rest of the home. Here I’ve hung a sheet of painter’s plastic across the wall, to contain sanding dust.

Once I’m done sanding, I’ll use my Shop Vac to clean up the mess, removing dust from both the floor and the walls.

It’s crucial that all dust be removed from the wall. If not, it’s like flouring a cake pan – the wallpaper (or paint) will kinda stick – but not really stick. Vacuuming the wall will not remove all dust. The only way to remove all residual dust is to wipe it off the wall with a damp sponge.

Look at how much dust has accumulated on the sponge after only a few swipes.

The sponge needs to be rinsed clean frequently. Once I’m done, I’ll dump this bucket of dusty water down the toilet (not the sink).
Swipes from the damp sponge will leave wet marks on the wall. These need to dry before moving to the priming step, so as not to trap moisture within the wall surface.

Here I’m rolling on my favorite wallpaper primer, Roman Pro 977 Ultra Prime. I have my paint store guys add just a bit of blue tint, to help me see where I’ve rolled it on. The short angled brush is for cutting the paint in around corners and edges.
I’ve tacked strips of dropcloth along the top of the baseboards, to prevent splatters.

Finished wall, nice and smooth, primed, and ready for wallpaper.

Paint Must Be De-Glossed Before Adding A New Coat On Top

The original paint in both these photos was a gloss or semi-gloss. When it came time to update, someone applied a coat of new paint right on top. Then the floor guys came and stained the floor. To protect the new paint, they applied painter’s tape. Unfortunately, when the tape was removed, it took some of the new paint along with it.

Believe it or not, even something as relatively gentle as wiping wallpaper paste off the woodwork is enough to cause poorly-adhered paint to delaminate.

This happens because the new coat of paint was not given a sound surface to grab ahold of and adhere to.

To have properly prepared the original gloss paint to accept the new coat of white paint, the painter should have done one or more of the below:

1.) Sanded the paint to knock off the gloss. This leaves dust residue, so that dust will need to be wiped off with a damp rag or sponge (rinsed clean frequently) or a Tack Cloth.

2.) Wiped down with liquid chemical deglosser, such as Liquid Sandpaper.

3.) Primed with a bonding primer, formulated to stick to glossy surfaces, and also formulated to serve as an appropriate base for the new paint.

A primer is also not a bad idea to follow up in the case of 1.) and 2.) above.

Yes, all of this is a whole lot of work, and it creates dust and/or odors, takes more time, and adds cost.

But it’s a step well worth the investment, because properly prepped and painted surfaces will hold up and look professional for decades to come.

3M Is Confusing Me; Stupid Packaging

On the left is a sanding block I am used to buying, 3M brand. On the right is what I found at Lowe’s today, along with a package of sandpaper, also 3M, I bought at Home Depot yesterday.

As a regular purchaser of this product, I didn’t recognize the new packaging. Or, maybe it’s not new, but a different line of a similar product? Maybe it’s a cheaper grade? The label makes me think they are trying to look “green.” But to me, it looks cheap, and it reminds me of the “generic” packaging craze back in the early ’80’s.

You’ll also notice that the green label doesn’t say diddly about the product. on neither the sanding block nor the sand paper. It doesn’t even say WHAT it is. There’s not even a product name, nor is there a company/brand logo!

I hope this isn’t a new permenant label, and I hope it’s not an indication of labels to come. Manufacturers should clearly lable their products, include a name, and explain what it’s supposed to do. And a little more effort in the color and graphics and layout would help attract the shopper’s eye. And, yes, please include the manufacturer’s name and logo, so the customer can easily spot the brand he’s looking for.