Preparing Walls Before Painting: Five Steps You Should Not Skip

A good paint job is won before the brush is picked up. Skip the five steps below and even the most expensive paint will blister within two years.

1. Removing the old surface

Blistered, chalky or grease-contaminated layers must be scraped back before anything goes over them. Otherwise the new coat lifts together with the loose layer beneath it.

2. Finding the source of moisture

If there are stains on the wall, find the cause first: a pipe leak, penetration from the facade, or condensation? Paint applied before the source is stopped fails again in the same spot within months.

3. Opening cracks properly

Hairline cracks cannot be covered over. The crack is opened into a V, cleared of dust, filled with a flexible filler and, where necessary, reinforced with mesh tape.

4. Priming

Primer is not applied to reduce paint consumption; it is applied to even out absorbency. Paint over surfaces with differing absorbency and you get patchy sheen across the same wall.

5. Sanding and dust removal

If filler is not sanded and the dust not lifted with a damp cloth, the surface stays rough and adhesion suffers. This is the easiest step to rush and the one that spoils the result most.

In coastal areas like Alanya you also want a breathable, mould-resistant paint. In holiday flats that stand closed for months, that choice alone buys several years.