Painting Preparation Tips:
Prep

Before you take on a paint job, learn tips on masking surfaces to make the task go more smoothly
1. Filling Holes Apply filler with a putty knife to holes in the wall. Overfill slightly, as compounds will shrink. Let dry completely and then sand using a medium-grit paper.
2. Rough Spots Smooth out rough spots using grit sand paper and sand the wall from corner to corner.
3. Popped Nails Fill the indents with filler and smooth the surface with a putty knife. Let dry completely.
4. Loose Paint Strip areas of paint with a paint scrapper and sand any loose paint that remains on the wall.

Patchiness need to be treated using a wall sealer to prevent forming of lines and cracks