Have removed old wallpaper down to the drywall. I want a painted surface. What is my next step?
Answers:
If it were me, I would texture the wall before painting. The texture will also seal the plasterboard (drywall).
Sounds like you have a good start on your project, ,keep up the good work!
Other answers:
Use a primer first. Dont ever paint over exposed drywall.
Use a primer first. Dont ever paint over exposed drywall.
prime the wall. otherwise the paint will just be absorbed into it and you will use too much paint.
wash the wall...prime it, then paint it
Spackle over any holes, dents, imprefections, then sand, wipe down with TSP, let dry, prime, then paint.
Make sure none of the sticky residue from the wallpaper is left behind. Sand any rough spots and fill any holes. Prime the entire wall. Apply a coat of paint after the primer is dry.
If the wallpaper was put on drywall, chances are you took a bunch of the wall off with it. I hate it when people do that. If you did that, you will need to put some orange peel spray on the wall to cover your newly made flaws. Then prime it, then paint it. PS if you don't use primer first, the wallwill suck and suck and suck paint and won't look right. Good luck.
Get some freakin paint
Make sure all of the wallpaper is removed and the backing. Fill any blemishes with texture or drywall compound. Prime the entire wall, then paint.
Use a cleaner to remove any glue residue from the wall, then let it dry. Make any repairs to the wall at this time, and sand any spots that need it. Apply a quality primer/sealer to seal any stains and glue that didn't come off. Make sure your primer is compatable with your color coat. Now your ready for the color coat.
You should sand and prime it. Once primed you'll be able to see and flaws and divots. Now use joint compound to fill all the spots that need filling. After that, sand and prime it again. Once the walls looks good enough for you, do your thing and paint.
The reason I chose to use joint compound is, it's not expensive and sands easily.
Make sure you wash off all the old adhesive, fill in any cracks and holes, sand down the filler and then go over the wall with a wide bladed scraper to get off the tiny bits of debris that you didn't notice before (do this in a strong light.)
If you are down to the bare plaster, dilute your paint by 20 percent and use this for the first coat to give a good key for the subsequent coats (at least two) at the normal strength.