Wall Prep & Priming
The unglamorous step that decides how long your interior paint actually lasts.
The number-one reason interior paint fails early isn't the paint — it's the prep. Whether you're hiring a pro or doing it yourself, these are the steps that decide whether your walls still look good in eight years.
Our standard prep checklist
Every interior project we run includes the following before the first finish coat:
- Move and cover furniture, mask floors with drop cloths and plastic
- Patch nail holes, anchor holes, hairline cracks, and minor drywall damage
- Sand patches and any glossy surfaces for adhesion
- Spot-prime patches, stains, and any bare drywall
- Degrease kitchen walls and bath ceilings
- Caulk gaps between trim and wall where needed
When you need a full prime coat
Some situations call for priming the entire wall, not just spots.
- Drastic color change — especially dark to light
- Smoke or water staining
- Bare or skim-coated drywall
- Glossy oil-based trim being repainted with latex
- Heavy wallpaper residue after removal
Why Omaha homes need extra attention to cracks
Nebraska's freeze-thaw cycles and dry indoor winter air cause homes to settle and shift. Hairline cracks reappear seasonally near doorways, archways, and corners. We use flexible patching compound in those spots so cracks don't telegraph back through the new paint within a year.
Frequently Asked Questions
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