1

Someone has chipped the paint from corner of my wall. Do I need to apply a primer (I see the wall behind the paint)?

If so, I will inevitably put it over the previous paint a little. You know? I won't be able to only put the primer in the small chip in the wall, it will spill over inevitably a little. Is that okay? How does this work generally?

1 Answer 1

2

So it sort of depends on how bad the chipping is. (posting a picture will allow for a bit more detail in answers)

In general for chipped paint I would recommend the following process. (and yes getting the prime on existing paint is no big deal)

  1. Clean and sand the edges. Basically, make sure that nothing else is loose. Take a scraper and chip off any paint that does not adhere to the wall behind it.

  2. Fill the holes with non-shrink spackle. Use a scraper, apply it, let it dry then sand it smooth with the surrounding wall.

  3. Prime. You can get away with a spray primer (I generally use the spray Kilz to seal the parts that were patched.

  4. Paint. So you can brush it on and just apply a spot fix...but the texture of the paint will be different from the walls around it...ideally you should paint the whole wall, but that said you can roll a section of it, and feather out from the main area that needs paint.

3
  • Thanks greatly. I'll post a picture today. But I can say that the chip is small however it's on the eye level!! :( I have a quick question that nags me: this is in the bathroom. If I do the repairs in a few days, will the moisture from the water vapor from the shower, will that cause damage to the wall because the paint has been chipped off a little? I'll have time in 2-3 days to do the repair. Thanks again for your kind help. Dec 20, 2016 at 20:48
  • 1
    Not a problem. A few days of moisture shouldn't be problem. Just make sure it is dry when you are applying your spackle, primer and paint. Ideally you will want it to stay dry the whole time but that's not reality. If you can avoid the spackle absorbing any moisture that would be good.
    – James
    Dec 20, 2016 at 21:01
  • Hi James. I can't find a non-shrink spackle. Is it okay to use a regular one? Or I should definitely try to find a non-shrink one? Dec 25, 2016 at 16:56

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.