# What first ?! Ceiling or Walls? Do I need to prime?



## yohan (Feb 15, 2007)

Hey guys, 

You helped me out a tonne with my previous home and now I'm in a 1959 built 4 bedroom bungalow.

The 4 bedrooms, all the ceilings are flat, I want to put in knockdown effect for the ceilings. The walls are all in pretty good shape, but in the closets a couple are only painted half way and there's green paint below. All the other walls are painted a light color - I don't know when .. 

I'm wondering what to do first, and do I need to prime the walls before putting on the color coats ? Do I need to prime the ceiling ? I'll most likely be using neutral lighter tones.

Same applies for living room/dining room in which I'll be sanding/finishing hardwood floors last.

Hope this isn't too long and at the same time doesn't leave much guesswork to what I'm trying to accomplish.

Album of entire home here: http://www.facebook.com/p.php?i=728390304&k=Y3FUP3PYTXXMXADDVB24S

Thanks!


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## slickshift (Aug 25, 2005)

I'd suggest priming the ceiling before adding any texture
Other than that, most re-paints don't need primer unless other issues are present (decades old builder's paint, drastic color changes, latex over oil, etc...)


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## yohan (Feb 15, 2007)

Excellent... 

How do I tell if I have oil based paint?

would it be best to texture the ceiling before or after I paint the walls ?? I'm assuming after..


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## slickshift (Aug 25, 2005)

The texturing should b done before any painting (not priming) begins
A rag moistened with Denatured Alcohol or Oops! or Goof Off! will soften latex paint and it will transfer to the rag

DA, Oops!, or Goof Off! will not affect oil-based paints


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## nap (Dec 4, 2007)

not altering any of slickshifts advice, merely explaing.

ceiling first;

think about this for a minute. If you do the walls first, how will you keep the ceiling stuff from the walls. If you get ceiling stuff on the walls after you have painted the walls, the clean up will show up.

Ceiling first, then if you have texturing material or whatver on the walls, no big deal because you are going to paint them anyway.


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## yohan (Feb 15, 2007)

Got it! 

Somebody told me that I sould do a bit of sanding on the walls to scuff the surface a bit so paint stucks better.. I'm assuming I should just go over the existing latex paint?


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## Nestor_Kelebay (Jun 17, 2008)

If your existing walls are latex paint, then you only need to sand them before top coating with latex if the existing walls are semi-gloss or gloss. If they are satin or flatter, then you can paint over them without sanding.

If the existing walls are oil based paint, you can only paint over them with a latex if they are dead flat. If there's any gloss to them at all, then you either have to prime with an oil based primer -OR- sand them down some.

You don't need to sand, and then prime.


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