Cracked or badly damaged walls need repairing before you paint them.
Your bad wall could be due to age, previous wallpapering or damaged plaster. Successful painting over bad walls requires some home improvement actions be taken first, with specific remedies depending upon the wall problem encountered. You should also consider using a latex paint on this type of wall to help hide any remaining imperfections.
Significance
Painting your walls will cost money and time. You want the wall to look good after you spend your resources on it. But walls that are lumpy due to damage -- or even poorly-made repairs -- won't look better just because you put a new coat of paint on it. Make your time and money pay off when you repaint a damaged wall by correctly repairing the damage first.
Damaged Wallpapered Walls
Damage to old walls can't be confirmed if old wallpaper is still covering them. So after removing all of the wallpaper and any remaining paste residue (using 5 ounces of stripper to a gallon of water and a 3- to 4-inch scraper), the exact damage extent will be obvious. Repair plaster cracks by removing any loose plaster, then cover cracks with plaster tape before scraping off or smoothing out high spots from the compound used. Repaired walls should dry up to two days before you apply an oil-based paint primer, followed by a latex topcoat.
Plaster Walls with Holes
Plaster walls containing holes have to be filled correctly before you can paint the wall. Repairing these holes is easier if the lath board is still in place. You just removed damaged plaster, dust and then wet the area, and fill the hole with the joint compound. Don't use premixed compounds for this wall problem, according to Ask the Builder, as they will not bond well with the wood lath. Holes without a lath behind them are harder to repair, as you have to create a base before filling with compound. Allow ample drying time (up to two days) before adding your paint primer and topcoat, which can be gloss or latex.
Walls Needing Resurfaced
Some walls will have a lot more damage than a plaster crack or hole. Some walls will be so bad that professional drywall contractors will need to be consulted or hired to address wall problems. Complete wall resurfacing will be needed when this type of extensive damage has occurred. Don't paint until the wall has been repaired completely, and it is smooth, and without high or low points on it if you don't want to have to repeat the process over again later.
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