# Sand Eggshell Walls...Do You?



## Pete Martin the Painter (Nov 8, 2012)

In the past couple of months I have had a couple of customers have me paint eggshell walls in which they just wanted the walls painted...no washing and no sanding. I have told them in both cases that I will not gaurantee the work. 
Although if I was doing it right, I would never go without washing walls, after reading a few posts here, I am wondering if I am wasting my time sanding eggshell walls. Do you guys and gals always sand, or do you start sanding at a pearl, satin, or semi-gloss?


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## 804 Paint (Jan 31, 2014)

Sand everything...even flat. How else are you going to knock off little fuzzies, boogers and other smallish imperfections in the film?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## lilpaintchic (Jul 9, 2014)

804 Paint said:


> Sand everything...even flat. How else are you going to knock off little fuzzies, boogers and other smallish imperfections in the film?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


If the walls are smooth, yes. Pole sand but only to knock the stuff 804 mentioned off. Not for adhesion purposes.
Beyond that you shouldn't need to do anything under normal circumstances to get good adhesion on walls and ceilings.
I've never had any problems with semi over semi (latex)without sanding...like bathroom or laundry, etc. It doesn't hurt, but I think it's overkill mostly. Anything below semi though and I wouldn't worry about it at all.
And I only wash if it's greasy or nicotine or?? And even then i'd just spot clean the heavy stuff and prime it in oil and go for it if it's not terrible. Those stains (and smells) usually make their way back through the finish even if they're washed if it doesn't get primed.


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## Wildbill7145 (Apr 30, 2014)

Yep, every single wall I paint gets sanded. People around here are pretty shocked when they see you doing this. If you really want to WOW them, pull out the big dust mop and go over the wall.

A friend of mine owns a rental. The last painter he had do the place before I moved here left almost gravel size nuggets on the walls and just painted right over them. Can't wait till I paint the place. Might cut out a chunk of wall and frame it with the caption "I don't do this." Although that might be taking paint geeking to an extreme.


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## journeymanPainter (Feb 26, 2014)

I never wash my walls. Always pole sand though


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## Wildbill7145 (Apr 30, 2014)

Last year at one horrible rental I had to sand what appeared to be an entire bowl of petrified beef stew off a wall. I was quite impressed that the degenerate was able to get the entire thing to stick to the wall considering that gravity would have been a factor.

I did some washing in that situation.


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## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

Wildbill7145 said:


> Last year at one horrible rental I had to sand what appeared to be an entire bowl of petrified beef stew off a wall. I was quite impressed that the degenerate was able to get the entire thing to stick to the wall considering that gravity would have been a factor.
> 
> I did some washing in that situation.


Had to be Dinty Moore. That's the only stew I ever got to stick.


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## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

The questions I would be are is the "eggshell" an eggshell or a shiny a55 Valspar/Behr eggshell? I would seriously consider sanding for adhesion if it was. Also, are you using a good grade of paint to coat over it? Something.......decent? I had a customer just this morning that had a can of Valspar Signature that said "eggshell" and was dang near semi-gloss. But that's the only way they can make their "eggshell" scrubbable, jack the gloss up.


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## futtyos (Aug 11, 2013)

I guess it depends on what kind of job the client wants. What I like to do, especially on an eggshell or higher sheen, is to use my Milwaukee orbital sander attached to a shop vac. This lets me get up really close to the walls and see areas that need to be spackled or repaired that I might only otherwise see after the painting is done (I am nearsighted). Sanding also makes patching easier as the surface does not have all the little buggers that can make the spackle knife ride up and leave more spackle that will then need more sanding. If the walls do not warrant the orbital sander, I will still probably sand them with a drywall vacuum attachment with drywall sanding screen hooked up to (you guessed it) my shop vac. Though this does not do as good a job as the orbital sander, it does help and it also allows me to get up close and see the problem areas that will need attention. If a ceiling needs sanding, I might just use a pole sander to knock off the buggers, although I have used both the orbital and the drywall vac sander on ceilings if it is warranted.

Using the shop vac when sanding helps keep the dust down and the cleanup easier.

If the walls need washing I will spot wash. If they all need washing (and possibly the ceiling, too) I might charge extra for this, explaining why to the client, both verbally and in my proposal.

When I was young I hated to do prep work. Now I almost enjoy it because I know it will help to make the painting that much easier and help to provide for a better finish as well.

I do a lot of work for realtors and their clients who are trying to get their homes ready for sale. I enjoy taking something that looks ugly and making it blend in so that it is not noticeable to prospective buyers.

However, I continue to read here in Paint Talk what others do because I want to make lots of money painting! 

futtyos


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## Pete Martin the Painter (Nov 8, 2012)

PACman said:


> The questions I would be are is the "eggshell" an eggshell or a shiny a55 Valspar/Behr eggshell? I would seriously consider sanding for adhesion if it was. Also, are you using a good grade of paint to coat over it? Something.......decent? I had a customer just this morning that had a can of Valspar Signature that said "eggshell" and was dang near semi-gloss. But that's the only way they can make their "eggshell" scrubbable, jack the gloss up.



I always, when I choose the paint, use BM or California paint. These two particular jobs that I did where done with paints that I did not choose. Although I was very impressed with the Valspar Optimus, and it, to me, was a true eggshell. And it covered great. I would be happy to use it again...assuming SW does to destroy it. The other paint that I used I shall not name.


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## Pete Martin the Painter (Nov 8, 2012)

futtyos said:


> I guess it depends on what kind of job the client wants. What I like to do, especially on an eggshell or higher sheen, is to use my Milwaukee orbital sander attached to a shop vac. This lets me get up really close to the walls and see areas that need to be spackled or repaired that I might only otherwise see after the painting is done (I am nearsighted). Sanding also makes patching easier as the surface does not have all the little buggers that can make the spackle knife ride up and leave more spackle that will then need more sanding. If the walls do not warrant the orbital sander, I will still probably sand them with a drywall vacuum attachment with drywall sanding screen hooked up to (you guessed it) my shop vac. Though this does not do as good a job as the orbital sander, it does help and it also allows me to get up close and see the problem areas that will need attention. If a ceiling needs sanding, I might just use a pole sander to knock off the buggers, although I have used both the orbital and the drywall vac sander on ceilings if it is warranted.
> 
> Using the shop vac when sanding helps keep the dust down and the cleanup easier.
> 
> ...



I always use my Festool DTS 400 to sand walls before I paint. I rarely do not clean walls. Especially if I am painting trim. Home owners never clean the dust and grime that settles on trim. This is even true if I am just painting walls. The grime that collects where the wall and trim meet is often significant. I use Dirtex and a stiff brush to get all of the grime out of the details. The bottoms of door panels are especially notorious for the amount of dirt they collect. I have tried just using me Festool to vacuum the dirt, but it never gets it all.


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## Phinnster (Feb 20, 2013)

Pete why would you even have this conversation with a customer ?
Why wouldn't you just do it ?
I am just curious


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## Pete Martin the Painter (Nov 8, 2012)

Phinnster said:


> Pete why would you even have this conversation with a customer ?
> Why wouldn't you just do it ?
> I am just curious


I don't. Well, if there is lead I tell them I can do it the expensive way, or I can do it the cheap way...Gloss Off and paint, which I will not gaurantee. I am asking about sanding because I happen to be reading another thread and a couple of painters noted that they did not sand unless there is a gloss to scuff up. So, I thought I would pick the minds of others to see what they do. Just trying to learn...become a more effecient painter. My gaol is always a quality paint job, but if I am doing something that is not necessary I would like to know.


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## slinger58 (Feb 11, 2013)

Wildbill7145 said:


> Last year at one horrible rental I had to sand what appeared to be an entire bowl of petrified beef stew off a wall. I was quite impressed that the degenerate was able to get the entire thing to stick to the wall considering that gravity would have been a factor. I did some washing in that situation.


Maybe he'd added some EB to his stew. 

EB is good stuff, but I've never tasted it.


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## Wildbill7145 (Apr 30, 2014)

slinger58 said:


> Maybe he'd added some EB to his stew.
> 
> EB is good stuff, but I've never tasted it.


Ha, this was a she! Girl had so much class that rather than have to go down the stairs to the main floor to use the only bathroom, she just put a little portable camping toilet in one of the closets. Didn't empty it much from the looks of things. I left that for my buddy who was the landlord to deal with.


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## Exactoman (Mar 28, 2013)

Why would they give a f $%k what you do to the walls before you paint them?


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## Wildbill7145 (Apr 30, 2014)

Exactoman said:


> Why would they give a f $%k what you do to the walls before you paint them?


Probably because they want you done and out of their house and they want their walls to look nice. If you're just going to start piling paint on without filling holes, sanding off beef stew they're gonna have to fire you or make you do stuff over again or not pay you and complicate their lives.

Just sayin'.

Edit: But I wouldn't open up a conversation with a customer about what processes I would be employing prior to painting. Unless they asked. Just get at 'er.


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## slinger58 (Feb 11, 2013)

Wildbill7145 said:


> Ha, this was a she! Girl had so much class that rather than have to go down the stairs to the main floor to use the only bathroom, she just put a little portable camping toilet in one of the closets. Didn't empty it much from the looks of things. I left that for my buddy who was the landlord to deal with.


Sounds like she was a little rough around the edges.


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## Boco (May 18, 2013)

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q...80B0F4121C48AA3003CC676FBE8923384&FORM=IQFRBA.
I always use between coats. How much depends on the wall. If it feels good its a quick scuff. If its rough it gets the hose and a porter cable drywall sander. If its real bad then it gets a level 5.


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## Rbriggs82 (Jul 9, 2012)

It's VERY rare that I'm pole sanding walls prior to painting unless it's semi gloss or more which isn't very common. Spot clean yes but pole sand no. 

After everything is covered up I take a hammer, a tray of mud, my 8 inch blade and quickly scrape the walls from top to bottom. When the blade hit just the slightest bit of a nail pop it makes a black mark. I hammer it in fill and continue, anything else I find nicks, dents, whatever I fill and continue running my blade over the wall. Doing it that way I find way more things to repair prior to the first coat and it knocks off old boogers and lint from the previous guy in the process.


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## nogg (Aug 23, 2007)

I do not sand walls for adhesion but will run the idiot stick over any smooth wall to knock off anything that should'nt be there.I have been washing walls more often in bathrooms and kitchens.There always seems to be something hidden on those walls that paint dont like.


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## Repaint Florida (May 31, 2012)

pole sand all wall and STRAIN the damn paint :thumbsup:


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## Gwarel (May 8, 2012)

Repaint Florida said:


> pole sand all wall and STRAIN the damn paint :thumbsup:


Painting 101..........


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## BPC (Jan 1, 2015)

I think it depends on where you live on how you prep here in the midwest i know i do not sand walls as everything here has texture but if they are smooth then we will scuff them for adhesion and overall look.


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## mudbone (Dec 26, 2011)

nogg said:


> I do not sand walls for adhesion but will run the idiot stick over any smooth wall to knock off anything that should'nt be there.I have been washing walls more often in bathrooms and kitchens.There always seems to be something hidden on those walls that paint dont like.


Like Egg-nogg.:whistling2:


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## nogg (Aug 23, 2007)

mudbone said:


> Like Egg-nogg.:whistling2:


Nope,here's a clue.My first name is Richard.


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