One of the oldest and most common questions asked of a professional painting service is if you need to remove old paint from the walls before repainting. When repainting cabinets and furniture you always strip off the old coat of paint before putting on a new coat. However, is this true when it comes to painting the inside walls or ceiling of your home? L.W. Winslow Painting, Inc would like to help answer this question. In most situations you can easily paint over the old coat of paint when it comes to the interior walls of your home. In most cases professionals will even paint right over the previous coat of paint. However, there are a few situations where you will need to strip off the old coat of paint. Following are some of those instances where you will need to strip off the old paint before repainting.

Age & Condition of Existing Paint

One of the more common scenarios where a homeowner may find themselves stripping paint off their wall is the age and condition of the previous paint. If the paint on the walls are old and beginning to peel or crack it will impact the new coat of paint. You will only add defects in your paint job by trying to paint over peeling or cracking paint. In this case, the old paint should be removed before you begin repainting. You only need to remove the defective paint. Other problems such as flaking, chalking, or blistering are one of the conditions that calls for the old paint to be removed firs

Lead Paint

If you have some concerns that there may be lead paint present in your home, you can get lead paint test kits to help identify this hazardous paint. If you discover you do in fact have lead paint on your walls and in your home, the led paint will need to be removed. However, due to the danger of lead paint, it is highly recommended that you seek out a professional that has all of the safety equipment and training to properly get rid of the lead paint. When led paint is discovered, it will need to be removed. Never paint over lead paint.

Water Damaged Paint  

When there is water damage on your walls and ceilings, it is never a good sign. Depending on the depth of the water damage, it will require different levels of repair. Sometimes water damage on the wall can cause the oldest layer of paint to weaken and begin to peel off the wall. Water damage will cause the paint to bubble or become thin. When the paint has been compromised, again you will need to remove the old layer of paint. If the drywall has been damaged where the drywall bulges or is damp, that section of the drywall will need to come down completely. A professional drywall repair and paint service can help determine the extent of the water damage and see to the walls repairs.

Interior & Exterior Painting & More in Amagansett, Bridgehampton, East Hampton, Hampton Bays, Montauk, North Haven, North Sea, Noyack, Shelter Island, Sag Harbor, Shinnecock Hills, Southampton, Springs, Water Mill, Westhampton & Westhampton Beach, New York

If you find you need help removing old paint or are ready to do some major interior repainting and want to ensure great results, contact L.W. Winslow Painting, Inc and schedule our quality painting services today.