A step-by-step guide to the application of wall putty before painting

 

To give the painted interiors and exterior surfaces of your home an appealing look, you will need the perfect finish of the wall putty. It is advised by professional painters to apply wall putty before painting to ensure that the walls of your home stay smooth and beautiful for a long period of time. Hence, it is essential to understand why to apply putty and how to use it on your home walls to increase the durability of the paint.

 

The paint cannot be retained for a longer time if wall putty is not applied prior to its application. Wall putty increases the paint life. Besides the type of paint used and the manner in which it is applied, moisture and substrate also play an important role in maintaining the life of the paint. 

 

Considering this, have you ever observed the unpleasant discoloured patches created by cracks and fine lines on the painted walls of your home? Apart from external wall damaging influences like dampness caused due to excessive moisture, even the wrong application of wall putty could result in cracks and crevices formation.

 

All these cracks and crevices can be removed if an effective wall putty like the MaxX range of white cement-based wall putties from one of the top 5 wall putty brands in India i.e., JKCement is used in a correct manner. Their JKCement SmoothMaxX Super Smooth Wall Putty is made with Micro Particle Technology which makes the putty ideal for interior and exterior applications. It gives a pearl-like finish, greater than 95% whiteness and 25% higher coverage with a tensile adhesion strength of 1.18 N/mm²_. 

 

Application of wall putty is an integral task for ensuring your home walls remain strong and flawless. Therefore, here is a step-by-step guide to the application of wall putty before painting:

1. Surface Preparation

 

• Before using wall putty, make sure that the surface of the application is made with cementitious material.
• If wall damaging factors like efflorescence, leakages or dampness exist on your walls, try separate remedial measures for them. After that, ensure that the surface is completely clean.
• With the help of sandpaper, putty blade or wire brush, clean away all the poorly adhered materials from the surface and then wipe them out.

 

 

2.                  Mixing

 

• In a pan, mix the required amount of wall putty and add 38% to 42% water to it  according to the instructions of the manufacturer.
• With the use of an electric putty mixer/stirrer, or stirring consistently by hand, blend the mixture to get a paste-like consistency for 10-15 minutes. Avoid the formation of any lumps while mixing.
• Create the mixture in such a way that would allow you to utilise it within the next two to threehours.

 

3.                  Wall putty application

 

• Before using wall putty on your walls, apply a coat of primer and let it dry overnight. However, applying a primer is not necessary prior to putty as per the recommendations of some manufacturers. 
• Using a finishing tool like a spatula/blade/trowel to cover the surface with the first coat of putty in a “bottom to top” vertical direction. Let it dry fully for about 6-8 hours.
• Rub the surface gently with sandpaper to remove any small and loose particles once the coat has dried.
• Begin applying the second coat of wall putty horizontally after completing the first coat. Leave the surface to dry for 6-8 hours and then rub the surface to eliminate any irregularities with a sponge/cloth/ putty blade to get glossy and incredible whiteness on it.
• The recommended thickness of wall putty as per the experts should be a maximum of 1.5 mm. If it surpasses the given limit, this could lead to the formation of cracks or peeling on the surface after some time.
• The drying time of the wall putty can vary due to factors such as thickness, humidity and temperatures. Thus, it is better to leave the putty to properly settle down in cool and damp conditions.

 

By following the aforementioned steps, you can get perfectly smooth and shiny interior and exterior surfaces. Moreover, one should connect with an expert painter and use the best wall putties for their home beautification such as JKCement’s range of white cement-based wall putties.