How to prepare walls for painting
Preparing walls for painting means cleaning and degreasing the surface, repairing damage, sanding it flat and priming it. Paint only bonds properly to a wall that is dry, dust free and evenly absorbent. In older Amsterdam properties this preparation often takes longer than the painting itself, and cutting it short is the fastest way to a finish that fails within a year.
What the work includes
Preparation is everything that happens before the first coat of wall paint goes on. A painter working properly will list it separately in the quote rather than treating it as an invisible extra.
- Clearing the room, covering furniture, masking floors, skirting boards and frames.
- Assessing the substrate: plaster, plasterboard, older reed or softboard backing, wallpaper, or a previous coat of emulsion.
- Checking for damp and mould, and identifying the cause rather than just the stain.
- Washing and degreasing, especially in kitchens, hallways and above radiators.
- Stripping wallpaper and removing adhesive residue.
- Filling holes and cracks, levelling and sanding.
- Removing dust and applying a primer matched to the substrate.
The main stages
- Inspection. The painter taps the wall for hollow or loose plaster and looks for moisture. In canal-side buildings the layer under the plaster is sometimes reed or old board rather than modern plasterboard, and it behaves very differently.
- Protection. Wooden floors, staircases and communal hallways get covered. Amsterdam staircases are narrow and steep, and every bag of filler and every ladder passes through them repeatedly.
- Stripping. Wallpaper, flaking paint and failed filler come off. Anything left behind will let go later, taking the new paint with it.
- Repair. Cracks are opened up and filled, holes closed, damaged corners rebuilt. Where a wall has many small defects, skimming the whole surface is usually more economical than chasing each one.
- Sanding and extraction. Machine sanding with dust extraction keeps the mess manageable, which matters if you are living in the flat during the work.
- Priming. Repaired patches and absorbent surfaces are sealed so the topcoat dries to an even sheen instead of flashing where the filler is.
What the price depends on
Painters normally quote per square metre of wall surface, per hour for repair work that cannot be estimated in advance, or as a fixed price per job after a site visit. We deliberately give no figures here, because the condition of the walls drives the cost far more than the number of rooms. The factors that matter most are these.
- Substrate condition. A recently plastered wall is a completely different job from one that has been painted over for eighty years.
- Volume of repair work, and whether entire walls need skimming rather than patching.
- Ceiling height and whether platforms or scaffolding are required.
- Access. Narrow stairs, no lift and nowhere to unload add real hours.
- Occupied or empty. Working around furniture and people means daily covering and clearing.
- Method. Brush and roller versus spray application, which gives a flatter finish but requires far more masking.
- Waste removal, and whether a skip or container needs space on the street.
Questions to ask the contractor
- What exactly is in the quote, and which repairs fall outside it?
- Which primer will you use on my substrate, and why that one?
- What happens if you find damp or loose plaster once you start?
- How many coats are included, and who decides whether a third is needed?
- Who covers the floors, the staircase and the shared hallway?
- Is waste removal included in the price?
- The building predates 1994. How do you handle the possibility of asbestos containing board behind the finish?
Common mistakes
Painting over damp. Paint seals the wall, the moisture stays, and the stain returns larger. Fix the cause first, whether that is a leak, a cold bridge or simply poor ventilation in a room with single glazing.
Leaving filler unprimed. Filler absorbs differently from the surrounding wall. Skip the primer and every repair shows through as a dull or shiny patch, most visibly in the raking light from a window.
Treating structural cracks as cosmetic. Amsterdam buildings settle. Fine, stable hairline cracks are normal. A crack that widens, runs diagonally from a door or window corner, or continues around a corner should be looked at by a structural specialist before anything is filled.
Sanding or breaking into old board without checking. In pre-1994 stock, asbestos containing materials are a genuine possibility. It must be surveyed and removed only by a certified company. Never attempt this yourself.
Rushing the drying. Fresh plaster and filled areas need to be genuinely dry. In a cold, poorly ventilated flat that takes longer than the product label suggests.
FAQ
Do I always need a primer?
Not always across the whole wall, but yes on new plaster, plasterboard, highly absorbent surfaces and anywhere that has been repaired. The primer should be chosen for the substrate, not out of habit.
How do I know whether a crack is serious?
Stable hairline cracks come with the territory in old buildings. Get advice if a crack is widening, runs diagonally from an opening, or appears alongside doors and windows starting to stick. That is a job for a structural professional, not the painter.
Can I prepare the walls myself and only hire someone to paint?
You can, but agree in advance who carries responsibility for the result. Most painters will not guarantee a finish over a substrate they did not prepare.
Do I need permission from the VvE?
For the internal walls of your own apartment, usually not. You do need to check if the work touches shared structure or communal areas, or if you want to store materials in the stairwell. Ask before the job starts, not after.
What about disposing of the waste?
Small volumes are straightforward. If a container needs to stand on the street and occupy a parking space, municipal rules apply. Ask your contractor whether they arrange this and whether it is included in the quote.