Wall and Ceiling Cleaning
Wall and Ceiling Cleaning
Wall and Ceiling Cleaning
Decades ago, it was more common to clean walls and ceilings than it is today. Consumers usually hired professional painters because the oil-based paints used then were so messy and toxic to apply. Those paints also lasted far longer than today's water-based paints, so it made more sense to scrub surfaces than repaint.
Today, cleaning walls and ceilings can still be more efficient and economical than repainting so often. Fatty and amino acid residues from cooking, smoking, and body oils act like magnets to collect microscopic airborne particles of soil, dust, bacteria, fungi, and dead microorganisms. In time, these build up layer after layer of sticky film on our walls and ceilings, further accelerating the soiling process.
There are even some health benefits that come with cleaning ceilings and walls. Microorganisms growing in ceiling and wall surfaces can cause odors and sometimes illness. Mold and mildew spores should be removed, not just masked; cleaning can sanitize the surface and remove the source of odors, where simply repainting may only cover them up. Dirty ceilings can also reduce the amount of light transmitted by as much as 10 percent.
Two of the most important jobs in the painting process are also the least dramatic. A painting or papering job is only as good as the prep that precedes it. Fresh paint reveals every shortcut you took, and no matter how much you pay for the store's best one-coat paint, cracks, dings, poorly patched areas and paint-repelling grime will come to haunt you. The bottom line is that there are no shortcuts.
First, wash the wall to remove grime that prevents the paint from sticking. Next, examine the wall surface carefully under the bean of 100-watt trouble light. Fill dings and cracks with lightweight spackling compound and scrape loose paint. Lightly sand high spots, rough areas and glossy surfaces with 220-grit sandpaper. When the walls are clean and dry, you're ready to prime.
Wash walls and scrape loose paint. Put a tarp on the floor, wear rubber gloves and wash the walls with a solution of TSP or a simila phosphate-free product. This step is especially important if the room has been exposed to grease, smoke, soap and handprints. Rinse well with clean water.
Fill the cracks. Fill fine cracks with surfacing compound. Use paintable caulk, which retains flexibility to fill cracks caused by substantial movement between walls or between walls and doors or window jambs. Cover wider cracks with self-adhesive mesh tape, spread surfacing compound over them and sand to smooth the area.
Sand the walls. Sand lightly to remove surface bumps, to smooth patches and to lessen the sheen of glossy paint. Wrap the sandpaper around a commercial block, as shown, or fold the sandpaper and hold it against the palm if your hand. To hold the paper, rip a full sheet in quarters and then fold the quarters in thirds. Refold to expose new areas as each surface clogs with sanding dust.
Treat mildew and stains. Washing doesn't remove stains left by mildew and water damage and mildew will reappear if isn't entirely removed. Sand the area and then scrub it with a mixture of half bleach and half water. Wear gloves to protect your hands from the bleach. To prevent water stains from bleeding through the paint, seal them with one of several types of stain blocker. Several types, including some aerosol products, are available in paint departments. Allow the stain blocker to dry on the wall for at least 24 hours.
Spot prime and apply stain sealer. Apply primer over plaster or drywall patches to seal off the porous surface and to provide the paint a good surface to adhere. If there are water or mildew stains in the wall, seal them with an oil-based stain sealer to keep them from bleeding through subsequent coats of paint.
Tool tip
Necessary sanding creates dust. To eliminate the dust, smooth drywall and plastic repairs before they set with a drywall wet sander. This tool is a sponge that has a coarse abrasive on the other. When the drywall compound is firm and almost set, wet the sponge and ring it out until damp. Use the coarse side to level high spots, blend and smooth with the fine side.
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