Wall art paintings like murals trended just a short while ago. These beautiful, large artworks painted directly onto the wall can add a lot of interest to your interior spaces. With the right design, murals can even make your spaces appear a lot bigger and more interesting.
The only downside to wall art is that we do tend to tire of staring at the same old image day in and day out. As the years progress, these paintings will also start to wear down, and it can be a bit challenging to keep restoring the artwork over the years.
When you tire of the wall art, you might be tempted to cover the wall with a fresh coat of paint. This is entirely possible, but there are some considerations.
Challenges That Painting Over Murals Can Present
You cannot simply grab a brush and start covering the wall art in a coat of paint. Wall murals are usually done by hand, and the paint applied tends to create brush strokes all over the wall. These strokes for the underpainting will poke through the new coat of paint. If a thick paint was used for the mural, you could end up with lots of outlines poking through on your new wall paint coat.
Another issue is the fact that different paint types don’t always bond well together. If the new layer of paint does not bond well with the mural paint, your new coat will soon start to crack and peel.
How to Paint Over Murals
The only way to overcome the challenges of painting over a wall mural is by properly preparing your wall before you start painting. Let’s take a look at the necessary steps for covering a mural with a uniform layer of paint.
Step 1 – Cleaning
Every wall repainting project should start with a thorough cleaning. This is especially true for murals. These walls are very likely covered in grease because people are much more tempted to touch the wall surface. Use a proper degreasing cleaning product and wash the entire mural from top to bottom. After washing the wall, the surface should be properly rinsed.
Step 2 – Sanding
To prevent brush strokes from poking through on the new wall paint coat, you will need to sand down the entire mural. Sanding the wall will also help the new paint coat bond better with the wall. It is best to use an electric sander and some 120 – 150 grit sanding paper and to sand the entire wall from top to bottom.
Step 3 – Cleaning
After sanding the wall, a lot of dust will accumulate all over the wall. Grab a damp cloth and wipe down the walls again to remove this residue.
Step 4 – Repairs
Before you start covering the wall in paint or primer, take some time to inspect the wall. Cover up any holes or imperfections in the wall. Remember to sand down these patched areas so they will be smooth.
Step 5 – Primer
Use a quality primer and coat the entire wall. Primers will help the paint cling better to the glossy sealants that are often used on murals.
Step 6 – Repaint
When the primer has dried fully, you can coat the wall with a fresh layer of paint. It is best to apply at least two coats of paint so the entire wall will be properly covered.
Hire Professional Wall Painters in Melbourne
Covering up a wall mural isn’t the easiest task. If you don’t follow the right steps, your new coat of paint will soon start chipping away or you might notice some markings from the underpainting poking through.
If you want to successfully cover the old mural, then we welcome you to call We Fix Walls. Our wall painting experts will take all of the needed measures to properly coat the entire wall. When our team is done, your walls will look perfectly smooth, and the new coat of paint will last for years.
