How to Paint Over a Sponged Wall
Sponging is a painting technique that adds interest to a painted wall or covers up imperfections on the wall. If you want to paint over a sponged wall, you will need to smooth it out first because the sponging technique does not have an even finish. Otherwise, you may still see the unevenness in your walls. Fortunately, painting over a sponged wall requires you to sand the walls, which is a step you should ideally do anyway when painting to help the paint adhere to the surface.
Step 1
Sand the sponged wall to make it smooth. Use a 120-grit sandpaper and start at the top and work your way to the baseboards. Use a sander on a pole as necessary to make the job easier. Then, use a fine-grit sandpaper, such as 220, or a fine-grit sanding sponge. Wear a dust mask for this job.
Step 2
Vacuum and clean up the dust thoroughly. Clean the walls, moldings and baseboards with a bucket full of water and one to two capfuls of an all-purpose cleaner. Read the label for exact dilution rates. Wipe down the walls with wet rags to rinse.
Step 3
Paint the walls like you normally would. Cut in the corners and edges with a paint brush and roll the center of the walls making large V shapes that overlap to fill in the space. It's better to apply two or three thin coats than one thick coat. Allow for ample drying time between coats, as indicated on the label.
References
Tips
- If the wall was sponged to cover up imperfections, you will need to use a scraper to remove bumps. You may need to spackle to fill in dents.
Writer Bio
Melissa Lewis is a former elementary classroom teacher and media specialist. She has also written for various online publications. Lewis holds a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the University of Maryland Baltimore County.
Photo Credits
- Martin Poole/Photodisc/Getty Images
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