LESLIE: Now we’ve got Morris in New York who’s got a painting question. How can we help you today?
MORRIS: I recently had painted the walls and after it was painted I found that I could see the spackle and the previous paint underneath.
TOM: OK.
MORRIS: I was wondering what I did wrong and what I can do to remedy the situation.
TOM: So after you painted it you noticed that you could see the spackle. So could you see it through the paint or could you just see …
MORRIS: Yes, through the paint. Yes.
TOM: Through the paint. OK. And what kind of paint did you use, Morris?
MORRIS: It was like pearl finish.
TOM: OK. So, but it was not a primer? It was a wall paint.
MORRIS: Right.
TOM: Well …
MORRIS: It was white on white but I …
TOM: … whenever you have a problem with paint you have to kind of go back to the beginning and that means you need to prime the wall first.
MORRIS: Mm-hmm.
TOM: If you have a difficult surface and you’re having trouble with coverage then what you should do is prime it. We would recommend, because you’ve had a problem here, let’s do it once and do it right and not have to do it again.
MORRIS: Yeah, I thought because it was white on white I really didn’t need to prime it but you’re telling me I had to do it anyway.
TOM: Well, you see, it’s a different quality. The primer neutralizes the surface and it’s really what makes the next coat stick. The topcoat …
LESLIE: And it has different adhesions quality, too.
TOM: Right.
LESLIE: So it’s made to stick on anything that’s already there.
TOM: And seal what’s underneath so that you get less absorption as well. So that’s why it’s a good idea to prime it. Because you’ve had a problem. So I would recommend that you use an oil-based primer, you prime the entire wall and then after it dries, you’ll have to put only one coat of top paint on top of that. Use a good, quality paint and you should be able to get away with just one more coat of paint.
MORRIS: I also have a problem with, you know, the wood thing that they used in the past. I have like holes, bubbles coming out of the wall and I was wondering how I can get rid of that.
TOM: You mean where there were nails or that sort of thing?
MORRIS: Yes. Where there were nails that they used in the past.
TOM: OK. Alright. So then what you want to do is you drive another nail next to that so that you press it into the wall and then you spackle that and use a wall-patching compound, a spackle. Make sure it dries real good and do all this before you prime. You may have to sand it a little bit after you spackle if it’s a very deep nail hole and do two coats. And then after it’s sanded, very lightly sanded, then you prime it – again, with oil-based primer – and you can put the topcoat over that and you’ll be very happy with the results.
MORRIS: OK.
TOM: Alright?
MORRIS: Very much.
TOM: You’re welcome, Morris. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT. 888-666-3974.
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